In Another World With My Twin Living A Suite Life
by NarcisChris
Summary: The twins of the Tipton Hotel find themselves sent to another world full of magic, monsters, demons, and danger. The duo went from living the life of luxury in a fancy hotel, to fighting for survival in a dangerous other world.
1. Chapter 1: Invention

CHAPTER 1 - INVENTION

"I don't think it should be smoking like that, Arwin," Zack said as he looked at the strange device in front of him. He leaned in to inspect the damaged machine his inventor friend was working on. He attempted to touch the hole where the smoke was pouring out, but his hand was slapped away by Arwin. Arwin stood to his full height and shook his head, frustrated at Zack's carelessness.

"Of course it's not supposed to do that," he snorted. "It's broken." Arwin walked away from the smoking machine and rummaged through his tools. He would pick up a tool, inspect it, and throw it back down while muttering to himself. Zack watched his friend go through this ritual with amusement. Arwin was an inventor and the engineer at the Boston Tipton Hotel. He was in his mid thirties and could fix any problem within the confines of the building. Zack and his twin brother Cody were usually responsible for broken items that Arwin had to fix. He never seemed to mind. Zack and Cody paid their penance to him by watching him work on new inventions.

Zack's eyes drifted around the room. He became distracted by numerous patent blueprints on the wall above Arwin's work bench. He walked over to the bench, and he began inspecting tools similarly to Arwin. Zack wasn't very handy, and didn't know what most of the tools in front of him were for. He picked up a hammer and pretended to swing it around. Villains were dispatched in his imagination by the might of the hammer he swung. Zack was startled when he saw Arwin watching him, one hand on his hip. Zack quickly threw the hammer back onto the work bench.

"Nice," Arwin said. He'd managed to find the tool he was looking for and went back to work on his machine. He removed a panel from the side and began working inside of it. "I'll have this thing up and running in no time, kiddo." Arwin called, neck deep in his invention. Zack raised his eyebrow as his attention was drawn back to the smoking device. The device was smooth, and metallic. When Zack first laid eyes on it, he thought Arwin was building a model flying saucer. Arwin had been offended by the comparison.

"You still haven't told me what 'this thing' is," Zack said, leaping onto the work bench. "If it's not a UFO, then what is it?"

Arwin removed his head from the device. The same exasperated look was on his face. He gave the device a few pats. "This baby," he began. "Is gonna change the world. It's going to make me the greatest inventor that ever lived. It will make people remember the name Arwin Hochauser!" he exclaimed, raising his fist into the air.

"What does that mean, though?" Zack asked. Arwin sighed and walked over to his young friend. He placed a hand on his shoulder. He seemed to be choosing his words carefully. Zack rolled his eyes. "Let me guess, I wouldn't understand?" Arwin shrugged, but said nothing. It was all the response Zack needed. At that moment, the smoke from the device begun to darken. "Is it supposed to do that?" Zack pointed at the smoking machine. Arwin's eyes widened as he rushed towards his invention.

"Oh boy! This is bad! This is very bad!" Arwin once again stuck his head in the machine. Zack leapt off the workbench and rejoined the unfortunate inventor. Zack could hear him muttering inside the machine, not finding the answer to his problems quickly. "Zack! I need your help!" Zack's eyes lit up. He loved helping Arwin work on inventions. He never got to do it when Cody was around, because Cody understood what was going on and it was easier to defer to him for assistance.

"I can help, Arwin!" Zack said excitedly. He tried to look into the panel, where Arwin's head remained. "Are you stuck," he asked, unable to stifle laughter. Arwin removed his head and raised an eyebrow. "Oh," Zack feigned disappointment.

"You've got an important job! The most important!" Arwin placed his hands on Zack's shoulders. "I have a seperate toolbox, that I use for tough fixes. I seem to have left it on the roof deck. You have kid energy, and can get them for me very quickly. Can I count on you?"

Zack sighed. It wasn't the important helper job he was hoping for, but he nodded anyway. Arwin patted his shoulder in thanks. "I appreciate that, buddy!" he said, beaming at Zack. Zack nodded and opened up the door to leave. "Oh, Zack? If you see your mom on the way up...tell her I said hello!" Arwin gave two thumbs up and placed his head back into the still smoldering device.

Zack made his way up from the basement of the Tipton Hotel into its pristine foyer. Zack's eyes scanned the hotel lobby. It was quiet this morning. Preparations for a rush of foot traffic were being performed by the hotel's employees. The bellhop, Esteban was straightening his uniform, ready for his duties at the front doors. The hotel's manager Mr. Moseby was talking with the a blonde haired girl at the candy counter. Maddie Fitzpatrick had an annoyed expression on her face. Clearly, Moseby was giving her a hard time. He ran a tight ship, and he would get on Maddie for anything being out of place. Zack chuckled to himself. Everything was right as it should be in the lobby of the Tipton Hotel.

He made his way across the lobby to the staircase. He wanted to stop at his room, and see his mom before continuing to the roof deck. Arwin had asked after all. Mr. Moseby noticed Zack walking across the lobby. He immediately stiffened up seeing the boy unsupervised. He briskly made his way to Zack and stopped in front of him.

"Good morning Mr. Martin? May I ask what you were doing in the basement?" The interrogation had begun

"Nothing bad," Zack shrugged.

"I have difficulty believing that," Moseby squinted at Zack. "You and your doppelganger are always causing trouble, and it usually rises from that basement. I've learned to worry whenever the two of you are down there."

"I was just visiting Arwin. I'm going up to my room now. Pinkie swear," Zack held out his pinkie. Moseby eyed it, and did not stick his own hand out. He just grunted and made his way over to Esteban.

"Mr. Ramirez, are those feathers on your uniform?"

Zack didn't want to wait for Moseby to come back and continue grilling him for information. He took the stairs two at a time and walked at a much faster pace than he would have normally. Moseby didn't look it, but he was physically adept, and could easily catch Zack in a sprint. In no time Zack was at his room. Golden numbers reading 2330 were embossed on the door. He entered and saw his mother fussing in the kitchen.

"Arwin says hello, Mom," Zack said. She turned away from the plate she was cleaning. Like her sons, her hair was platinum blonde, but she wore it short and spiked. She worked in the hotel lounge as a singer. Her job was why she lived with her two sons in the Tipton hotel. She seemed frustrated.

"Do you know what this is?" she asked holding the soapy plate out at him.

"Uh. A plate?" he smirked.

"I found this plate. In your room. I don't want you guys eating in there!"

"Must have been Cody," Zack shrugged.

"Cody doesn't eat pizza rolls," his mom returned a smirk of her own. "Also you left it on your bed."

"I'll be sure to talk to Cody about this, and make sure he never does it again," Zack said, walking past his mother. He swung open the door to his bedroom. Lying on one of the matching beds, with a book in his hands, was Zack's brother Cody. Zack and Cody were identical twins, but couldn't have been more different in their interests, and personalities. Zack enjoyed living life as it came, whereas Cody was more rigid and afraid to take risks. He looked up from his book.

"Hey," he said casually. After the courtesy he went back to his reading.

"What are you up to?" Zack asked leaping onto his brother's bed. Cody looked slightly annoyed at this.

"Reading my book. It's about constellations, and star maps. Ancient travellers used to use the stars to find their way around the planet before maps, and GPS." his eyes lit up as he spoke about the subject. Zack could feel his own eyes glazing over. He didn't understand how Cody could be interested in that stuff. Cody seemed to be aware of Zack's dissipating interest. "I like it," he said, returning to its pages.

"Well, I need your help. Arwin is inventing a device that's going to change the world and we need to get his tools from the roof deck." Zack said. He began bouncing on the bed, further disrupting Cody.

"Change the world, how?" he asked a very good question. Zack could only shrug. "And you can't get them yourself because…?" Once again, Zack only shrugged. Cody sighed, and placed a bookmark to mark his place, and put the book on his end table. "Let's go," he said.

The twins left the bedroom and their mother had moved from the kitchen to the living room, where she was watching television. "Where you two off to?" she asked from her spot on the couch.

"Helping Arwin," Cody said. "With what? I don't know," he said with a shrug. He turned to his brother. "Shall we?" Zack nodded and the two left their hotel room. They walked silently to their floor's elevator and waited for its arrival. Zack impatiently paced while Cody rolled on his heels with his hands in his pockets. With a slight ding, the gold doors slid open and the two entered. Zack hit the button for the roof deck, and the methodical ride began. The two were silent as the elevator slowly climbed to the top of the Tipton tower. Zack looked at his brother. Cody still had his hands in his pockets, but he didn't seem annoyed.

"So, what do you think Arwin's invention is?" Zack asked breaking the silence. A mischievous smile crossed Cody's face.

"Not a clue," he said with a laugh. "Whatever it is though, it probably won't work."

"Got a point there," Zack laughed with his brother. "It was smoking when I left. That's why I'm getting tools for him." The two continued to laugh at the engineer's expense. They were so focused on laughing, they were surprised when the elevator reached its destination. The two were on the roof lounge of the Tipton Hotel. There were chairs spread out along the roof, and a bar was at the back. Glass ceilings protected it from the elements. The hotel sometimes held events under the stars. Zack and Cody weren't usually allowed up here so they took advantage of the rare occasion.

"Where would Arwin be working on something here?" Zack asked. He began looking under the various chairs. "He said he left a toolbox up here." He began making his way to the back of the room.

"Zack?" Cody called to him. Zack turned to face his brother. He was standing next a door that said, 'Employees Only' in bright red lettering. "Maybe an employee might do work in here." Cody made an exaggerated hand motion at the door like he was Vanna White turning a letter. Zack could feel his face turning red with embarrassment.

"I knew that," he mumbled. The twins entered the room and were looking at the HVAC system for the roof lounge. The two looked up and down in the small room for any sign of the toolbox.

"There it is," Cody said excitedly. Zack tried to follow Cody's line of sight, but couldn't see it.

"Where?" Zack held his arms out in frustration. Cody sighed and stood behind his brother. He grabbed his head and turned it to face the toolbox. Sure enough, atop one of the ducts, was Arwin's navy blue toolbox. "I found it," Zack exclaimed. Cody gave him a playful smack on the back of the head for this comment. "How do we get it?" Zack asked rubbing the spot where he had been hit.

"Gotta get up there somehow," Cody said staring at his target. Zack could see the gears working in his brother's head. Cody was an excellent problem solver. He was coming up with the best solution to get the toolbox with minimal injury to the two of them. Normally, Zack would have been content to let Cody come up with the solution, but he wanted to give it a shot today.

"I've got it," Zack shouted, extending his finger to the sky. Cody seemed surprised by this.

"You've got it?" he asked.

"Watch me," Zack said, giddy with excitement. He left the HVAC room and made his way to the back of the lounge. Cody watched with his arms crossed as Zack grabbed one of the bar stools. Cody's jaw dropped as Zack lugged the heavy chair over his head back to where he was standing.

"Are you nuts?" Cody asked, jaw still hanging open.

"Of course not! This is a good idea," Zack frowned. He'd expected his brother to praise his brilliant plan. "I stand on this, grab the tool box, and we're good."

"It's not tall enough, though. It's also nowhere near stable enough," Cody said. "You could easily boost me to it, where I could get it down. I can use the ducts to steady myself, and I know you're strong enough to lift me."

Zack just frowned and brought the char into the HVAC room. He placed it against the duct. Zack placed his sneaker on the bottom rung of the stool. In a quick motion he got his other foot onto the round seat. The seat immediately began to spin. Zack took a few deep breaths

"You'll fall, Zack. Don't do this," Cody's face was now etched with worry. Zack felt himself get angry that his brother didn't trust in his idea. He quickly got his second foot onto the seat. He kept himself low and steadied himself against the initial, more violent spins of the barstool. Cody held his hands out to steady Zack, but Zack shooed him away.

"I'm good," he said. Cody reluctantly backed away, but not too far off in case he needed to step in. Zack slowly rose to his full height, keeping his arms out to steady himself. He took deep breaths as he reached for the toolbox. He placed one hand on the duct, to further steady himself, but he was just too short to reach the toolbox. He gritted his teeth and attempted to stand on the tips of his toes. He felt the stool start to swivel underneath him. Zack had a split second to decide what to do. Throwing caution to the wind, he leapt for the toolbox. He clasped his fingers around the handle. It came down with him as he landed on the stool.

Cody watched in horror as Zack jumped from the stool. He knew this was going to end badly, and tried to get to where Zack might possibly land. How could he be so stupid? Zack's momentum coming down mixed with the spin of the barstool seat, caused the stool to rocket away from Zack. He was falling backward and nothing was left to stop his fall. If Cody didn't sacrifice his own body, Zack would pay the full price for his leap. Cody extended his arms and managed to catch Zack. Lacking the strength to keep him upright, both twins fell to the ground hard.

"Oh my god! Zack, are you okay?" Cody worriedly asked his brother. Zack began laughing as he sat up. He held out the tool box.

"Not one tool spilled either," Zack said with a big grin on his face. Cody reared back and punched Zack as hard as he could on the shoulder. "Ow! Jeez, Cody! What was that for?" Cody let out a frustrated grunt, and got off the floor. He dusted himself off and left the room. Zack quickly caught up. "Woah, Cody? What's going on?"

"Are you serious?" Cody angrily got in Zack's face. Zack hadn't been expecting his brother to be so upset. His mouth hung open as Cody berated him. "That was the dumbest thing you could have possibly done. You could have landed in so many horrible ways. You could have gotten a sprain, a broken bone, possibly worse! Do you ever think?" Zack closed his mouth and looked ashamed. Cody let out a sigh, knowing that his outburst didn't help the situation. "Look, let's just get the tools to Arwin. At least we're both okay."

The twins silently rode the elevator down to the basement where Arwin's office was. Zack occasionally looked in his brother's direction. He had been relaxed on the way up retrieve the tools. Now it was clear he was trying to stop himself from shaking, but was failing. Zack felt awful. He made a stupid decision, as he normally did. He wanted to impress Cody, but in doing so worried him. Hopefully Arwin's invention would take his mind off of the incident.

The duo entered the inventor's office and he was right where Zack had left him, neck deep in his machine.

"Hey, Arwin," Cody said, not allowing the incident on the roof to infect his speaking voice.

"Do I hear Cody," Arwin called from his machine. He peered out from it. "I did! And Zack's back too with my tools! Well done, kids!" He eagerly took the toolbox from Zack. "You kids are gonna witness history." The engineer pulled strange looking tools out of his toolbox and made adjustments to the inner workings of his device. Zack and Cody shared nervous looks.

"Zack wasn't able to explain what your new invention does," Cody probed the excitable inventor for more information. He simply smiled at them.

"I can't really explain it," he said rubbing the top of the device. "All i know, is that it's going to be incredible."

"At least it's not smoking as much, right?" Zack pointing out the mishap from earlier in the morning annoyed Arwin, but he shook it off quickly.

"It was SMOKING?" Cody asked nervously. "If Moseby found out you nearly had a fire, he'd blow a gasket."

"He did," Arwin said curtly. "Smelled it from upstairs and sprayed it with a fire extinguisher. Took me the entire time you were getting my tools to get all the foam cleaned up."

"I'd have loved to see that!" Zack said to Cody. Cody simply nodded. He was still clearly upset with his twin. Zack made made a mental note to find a way to make it up to him later. Maybe feigning interest in his star book would cheer him up.

Arwin went to his work bench and pulled a power cord from one of the drawers. He unraveled it and plugged it into the wall outlet. The opposite end of the cord was plugged into his device. Small lights around the edge of the device powered on, illuminating the side of the machine in an ethereal blue glow. A maniacal smile crossed the inventor's lips. He rubbed his hands together.

"It's supposed to do this, right," Zack asked nervously.

"This time, yes," Arwin said gleefully. "Once I press this button, the magic will officially happen, boys!"

Zack stepped closer to the machine, but Cody kept his distance. Arwin nodded as he placed his finger on a small button on the top of the machine. His index finger was shaking. He looked at the twins. A curious smile crossed Zack's face as he nodded. He felt himself being drawn in to the device. Arwin pressed the button. The blue light intensity increased as it scanned the room. Zack followed it as it went up and down the entire room. The scan finally stopped. There was a slight humming coming from the device. Zack could hear his heart beating in his chest as he stared at the machine.

"Did it work?" Cody asked meekly.

Zack reached out to touch the machine. He didn't expect it to explode. The force of the explosion sent Zack rocketing back. His body made contact with the wall and he blacked out.


	2. Chapter 2: Alone

CHAPTER 2 - ALONE

Zack groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. Details of Arwin's office came into focus. The charred remains of the engineer's device lay mangled in the center of the room. Zack struggled to a seated position. Doing so sent a searing pain to his ribs. There was no sign of Arwin, but Cody was out cold on the opposite side of the room. Through the pain in his chest and legs, Zack crawled to his brother.

"Cody!" He called out as he got closer. Cody remained motionless. Zack reached his side and began checking his unconscious twin for major injuries. Nothing stood out from the various cuts and scrapes on Cody's face, and exposed skin. Zack debated looking for Arwin. Had he gone for help? Moseby would be furious seeing the condition of the room. Their mother would be worried too. He didn't want to leave the office though. Not until Cody was awake.

"Ow...Zack?" Cody was regaining consciousness. This brought Zack out of his thoughts. He let out a sigh of relief. "What happened?" Cody asked looking around the destroyed room. Dust fell from his long blonde hair as he reached a seated position. He coughed as it fell in front of his face.

"I don't know?" Zack eyed the charred remains of Arwin's invention in the center of the room. He crawled toward it.

"Shouldn't you stay away from it? It did just explode," Cody warned. Zack ignored Cody's warning and looked at the device. What little remained intact was crumpled and destroyed. Arwin must be disappointed at the result of his world changing invention. "Where is Arwin?" Cody must have been thinking the same thing as Zack.

"I don't know that either. I was gonna go look for him when you woke up." Taking that as a cue, Zack stood up. He grimaced as the pain stung in his chest. He offered his hand to Cody. Cody accepted and stood up as well, more dust falling off of him as he stood. "How you feeling," Zack asked, noticing that Cody's range of motion seemed unaffected.

"I feel fine, oddly enough." Cody checked his extremities and was able to move them all. "You? You've been cringing." Of course he noticed that. Zack shook his extremities in a similar fashion to Cody as a way to indicate that he was fine. His display actually hurt a tremendous amount. He didn't want Cody to see that though.

"Nothing that won't heal soon enough," Zack smirked. "Come on. Mom will be worried if she heard the explosion." Cody frowned. He must not have considered how worried their mother would be for their safety. The two boys left the room and made their way up to the lobby of the hotel. A strange sight awaited them. The pristine lobby was empty. Maddie wasn't at the candy counter. Esteban wasn't at his post by the door. Even Mr. Moseby wasn't anywhere to be seen.

"They must be outside," Cody said matter of factly. "If there was an explosion, they probably evacuated." Cody was likely right. Zack made his way to the revolving doors that led to the busy streets of Boston, Massachusetts. However, instead of St. James street greeting Zack, an open grassy field that stretched on to the horizon met his eyes. Zack rubbed his eyes to confirm that he was seeing a field and not a busy Boston street. He staggered back into the hotel. Cody was peering over the candy counter.

"Cody?" Zack called to him.

"I wasn't gonna take any," Cody said defensively. Cody had a notorious sweet tooth and would often sneak candy from the counter, much to the chagrin of Mr. Moseby. His disposition changed when he saw the worry on his brother's face. "What is it?" he said.

"We're not in Boston," Zack choked out the words as he pointed at the doors. Cody raised an eyebrow and smirked. It quickly turned to laughter.

"What are you talking about?" he chided. He walked past Zack and went outside. It didn't take long for him to re enter the building. His smile was gone. A look of horror had replaced it. "Zack...we're not in Boston!" He swallowed a lump in his throat. "Where are we? Where is everyone?" The two came to the same horrible realization at the same time. "Mom!" The twins bolted through the lobby, taking the stairs three at a time. Zack's foot missed one of the steps and he tripped, hurting his shin, but he rebounded quickly. He only thought of making it to his mother. He was usually much faster than Cody, but falling prevented him from catching his brother. Cody swung the door open, but did not enter the room. He stood in the doorway. Zack made it to him and saw the same horrible sight. Nothing.

Their mother wasn't in their suite. The twins shared worried looks. "Maybe she went looking for us?" Zack asked hopefully. This didn't reassure Cody.

"She knew we were going to Arwin's, Zack." He put his hands on his temples, deep in thought. Zack watched his gears turning, attempting to figure out their situation. "Maybe we can check the dining room," he finally said. "Maybe they're all in there." Neither boy seemed confident in that possibility. Still, they made their way to the dining room off of the front lobby. Zack's fall on the steps began to bother him, as the initial adrenaline of running to the suite faded. He started to limp, and Cody noticed. "You need help?" he asked making his way back to Zack. He reached for Zack's arm to assist him with walking.

"I'm fine," Zack pushed Cody's arm out of the way. "I can walk!" Zack knew Cody was only trying to help. "I can't have my little brother worrying about me on top of everything else," he said with a pained smile. Cody nodded at this. It was a running joke amongst the twins that since Zack was born ten minutes before Cody, he was the elder, therefore wiser of the two.

"Ten minutes," Cody took care to remind him. He sighed at his brother's stubbornness. "Well, if the limp gets worse, I'm helping you. Even if I have to drag you." Zack agreed to Cody's terms and they made their way into the dining room. As they had expected, there was nobody in sight. For the sake of due diligence the twins checked the kitchen as well. No guests, cooks, or waiters were in the kitchen. Everyone in the hotel had vanished, and it was no longer where it was supposed to be.

Frustrated, the two sat at one of the many tables, as the guests of the Tipton Hotel often did. Zack propped his injured leg on a chair. Cody put his head on the table and folded his arms around it. "What do we do now," Zack asked. He wasn't used to seeing Cody struggle to find an answer to their problems. Then again, he'd never had a situation like this to solve before.

Cody stood from the table and began pacing. He was racking his brain for plausible explanations to their situation. He looked at Zack. His brother was looking to him for the answer. He could see Zack's lower leg swelling. Whatever plan Cody came up with, would have to be mindful of his brother's decreased mobility. If he could even think of a plan. He didn't know where they were, and he didn't know where anyone else was.

"Maybe we should look around outside," Cody offered.

"Better than sitting here," Zack said, standing up.

"Maybe I should go alone."

"What and leave me here alone?"

"It's safe here, and…" Cody stopped himself. His eyes went to his brother's leg. Zack rolled the leg of his track pants back down around his ankle.

"It's fine," he insisted. "It won't heal if I don't walk it off," he was trying to ease Cody's worry with humor, but it wasn't working. Cody said nothing in response. Zack sighed. "Yeah, my leg hurts, but I can still move around. Besides we don't know if it's safe here. We don't know where we are, and if we're truly alone. This hotel is huge!" He raised good points. Cody sighed.

"Fine. We'll explore outside, but we take it slow!" Zack agreed then made his way back toward the kitchen. "Where you going?" Cody raised an eyebrow at Zack.

"I don't know what's going on. Best to be armed," he said. A minute later he came back with two large butcher knives. He handed one to Cody who stared at it. He held it as his side, and twins made their way out of the dining room. "What are we looking for," Zack asked the million dollar question. Cody let out a heavy sigh. He had no idea what they were looking for. The two were going to have to improvise here.

"Whatever seems important," Cody finally offered. The two made their way to the outside world where the large open field awaited them. "Let's check around the whole building." Zack made his way in the opposite direction of Cody. Exasperated, Cody ran after him. "What are you doing?"

"We'll meet up on the other side!"

"By yourself, Sir Limps-a-lot?"

"Hey! That's not bad!" Zack chuckled at Cody's joke. Cody wasn't smiling.

"With your leg, and all the unknowns here, we stick together. At all times." Zack rolled his eyes, but nodded. The two noticed that there were no other buildings in the surrounding area. There were no trees, or any other visual landmarks, just wide open field. As they rounded the corner they noticed a large mountain behind the building. The hotel looked as though it were part of the mountain itself.

"Guess there's nothing that way," Zack stated the obvious.

"Makes things easier for us," Cody agreed. "Only a few directions we can go."

"So what's the plan?" Zack asked. Cody sighed.

"I say we rest up your leg, pack up some food, and pick a direction." Cody folded his arms. He wasn't too fond of the plan, but felt it was their only option.

"My leg is fine, let's just pack stuff and go. It doesn't feel right in there. I don't want to stay if I don't have to." Zack eyed the hotel suspiciously. Cody saw genuine fear in his twin's eyes. He may not have agreed with that course of action, but if it made Zack feel better, he was willing to do it.

The two went back to their rooms and found their backpacks. They removed all of their schoolwork and textbooks to make room for clothes and food. They loaded Zack's bag with clothes, mostly Zack's. Cody noted that it would be smarter to pack clothing meant for athletic endeavors and that his regular business casual attire wouldn't be prudent. He changed into a pair of green basketball shorts and a Boston Celtics jersey his mother had bought for Zack when she took the boys to a game at the TD Garden. Cody didn't know the player. He enjoyed the analytical nature of baseball over basketball. Zack laughed at Cody in his new outfit.

"How do you feel?" Zack asked

"Ridiculous," Cody frowned. "Come on. Let's go fill my bag with food."

Zack nodded as he pulled the zipper to his own bag closed. He slung it over his shoulder. In spite of only carrying a few outfits for the two of them, it was pretty heavy on his already bad leg. He didn't complain about it though. Cody was worrying about enough to keep the two of them safe on their upcoming journey into the unknown. He didn't need more on his plate. The two made their way to the kitchen ransacked their cupboards for anything they could take.

"I think we should pack food for four days worth of travel," Cody said as he began stuffing cans and packages into his backpack.

"Why?"

"I think it will be smart to walk for two days. If we find nothing in that time, we have enough food to make it back." Before long his bag was stuffed to bursting with all kinds of food. Zack watched his brother throw the clearly heavier bag over his back.

"Do you want me to carry that?" Zack offered, noticing Cody let out a heavy sigh as he adjusted the straps on his shoulders. Cody shook his head.

"I'm good. Let's get moving. I'm going to head to the basement and turn off the backup generator. If we have to come back at least we'll have power for a little bit." Zack's mouth fell open as Cody spoke. "What?" Cody asked.

"I would have never thought to do that," he said. "That's a really good idea." Cody blushed at the compliment. He knew that Zack appreciated his good ideas, but he didn't often praise them out loud. It often came in the form of being called a dork, or nerd. After powering the hotel down, the twins made their way out.

"Let's just go straight ahead," Zack said. "You said pick a direction, right?" Cody took a deep breath and nodded. The two looked back at the hotel. The monolithic hotel beared down on them as they started to walk away. Zack and Cody were off into the unknown.


	3. Chapter 3: Rats

CHAPTER 3 - RATS

Zack readjusted his backpack. It wasn't particularly heavy, but the straps were digging into his shoulders. He looked to his brother. Cody was silently heaving the weight of the far heavier pack. If it was bothering him, he was showing no sign of it. Zack looked from his brother to the horizon. He'd expected after a few minutes of walking, they'd see something other than the endless green grass and blue sky. He sighed at this unfortunate revelation.

"What's wrong?" Cody asked. Zack was surprised at his brother's dexterity. His voice wasn't even strained. How was he easily lifting all of the food? "Is it your leg?" Cody looked to Zack's shin. Zack's leg was still bothering him. It would twinge with each step that he took. If Cody was toughing it out, Zack would have to do the same.

"Still good, Cody! If it gets bad, I'll tell you." He pointed to the horizon. "I figured we'd have seen something by now." He was eager to change the subject

"Same." Cody agreed. "At least the sun is moving." He wiped sweat from his brow. He noticed the dumbfounded look on Zack's face. He chuckled. "It means time is happening. Wherever we are, at least it's a place that revolves around a sun, and the fact that the sun is moving in the sky, means there will likely be a nightfall. We'll be able to separate our time into days."

"Dork," Zack said reflexively. He went back to looking at the horizon. He was frustrated at the situation. He accepted that Cody was smarter than he was. Cody applied himself to learn as much as he could. Zack preferred to be street smart, and more physically capable. With his leg injury, he didn't even have that going for him.

For the next hour, the twins said nothing to each other. Cody would occasionally look to Zack, wanting to say something, but he couldn't pick the right words. He could tell Zack was struggling. He was toughing out his injury. Zack would never admit that he was seriously hurt, and his pride had taken a hit when Cody took the heavier load from the hotel. With each step Zack was trying to place his weight evenly to avoid a limp. Cody wanted to inspect his brother's leg for himself and see if there was anything he could do. He didn't have any medical abilities, but he could probably figure out something to help comfort Zack.

"What's that?" Zack finally said. Cody squinted at the horizon. He nearly jumped for joy. It looked like tree tops. "You see it too?" Zack asked. "It's not one of those fake, what-do-you-call-'ems?" He was trying to get the word out, but likely didn't know it.

"Mirage, and no, it's not. I see it too!" There was a look of relief on Zack's face. "We can rest when we reach them. Zack nodded in agreement. Cody let out a sigh of relief. Had the brothers walked for much longer without a change in scenery, their journey would have likely become more contentious.

It didn't take long to reach the trees. The two brothers laid the packs down beside a massive oak tree. Zack sat in the grass next to the trunk. He leaned against it. He seemed at ease. Cody sat next to his brother, and leaned against the tree as well.

"Hungry?" Cody asked reaching into the bag.

"Yeah, what have we got?" He asked peering into the bag. Cody pulled a box of Ritz crackers and two water bottles. He tore open the box and pulled out a sleeve of crackers. He handed it to Zack along with the bottle. He accepted him but a scowl crossed his face. "Is this a joke?"

"No. I had to take stuff that didn't require us to cook it, and could be easily eaten. Mom didn't keep a lot in the suite." Zack frowned as he opened up the sleeve and shoved the disappointing morsel in his mouth.

"You think Mom's okay? Has she been walking in this field for hours too? What if she chose a different direction from us?" Zack asked multiple good questions, that Cody couldn't respond to. Cody wondered about what had happened to the other residents and employees of the Tipton Hotel. They hadn't come across anyone yet. Cody took a swig from the water bottle and poured some of the water over his head. The warm water still felt refreshing against his skin. The sun had beating down on him for hours, and it wasn't exactly kind to people of the Martin brother's complexion.

"This is Arwin's fault, right?" Cody finally said. Zack shrugged. "I mean, his invention explodes, we end up here. He said it would change the world."

"You think he invented a teleporter?" Zack asked with a smile. "That'd be dumb."

"Maybe, but what else could it be?" Cody responded. Zack had no answer for this, so he just stuffed a few more crackers in his mouth.

From behind them, the twins heard a strange scratching noise. The two boys looked at each other to confirm they were both hearing the odd noise. Cody stood up and looked behind the tree they were sitting at.

"Zack, I want you to slowly stand up and back away from the tree." Zack saw the worry in Cody's eyes. He did as he was told. Moving slowly to his feet caused his leg to sear in pain. He grimaced as he got to a standing position. He slowly joined his brother and peered behind the tree.

"No way," Zack gasped as he saw a massive rat, thirty feet from where they stood. "Do you think it smelled the food," he whispered. Cody nodded. "I've seen some rats on the green line, but I've never seen them that big before." Zack was fascinated by the giant rat. Cody grabbed the back of his shirt, holding him back.

"We should stay away from it," Cody murmured. The beast's beady red eyes made contact with theirs. The two boys instinctively backed off. The rat scurried over to them, and begin sniffing the backpacks.

"It's going to take our food," Zack said into Cody's ear. "What do we do? Is it even possible to scare that thing off?" Cody eyed the kitchen knife Zack had placed next to his bag. "I've got an idea." Cody started to move away from Zack. "I'm gonna distract the rat. You grab the knife." Zack looked to where the knife was.

"What if that thing bites you? You could get rabies or something!" Zack stopped Cody from getting further away

"Don't be stupid. You're injured. It makes more sense for you to get the weapon!"

"I told you I was fine! Besides, if this thing bites you, we'd both be injured. Now go get the knife!" Zack angrily pulled Cody out of the way. "I'm way more distracting anyway." Zack has a wild smile on his face as he moved further apart from Cody. "Look at me you ugly rat!" Zack called. The rat's red eyes focused on Zack's noisemaking. It kept one paw on the food bag, as a means of protection. The rat was the size of a golden retriever. Zack made note of the beast's large front teeth. He didn't want to guess how sharp they were. He watched Cody just outside of his periphery. He'd made it to the knife. Zack increased his noisemaking. The rat started to arch it's back, it was defending what it thought was it's territory. It never heard Cody.

Cody struck the knife into the rat's backside as hard as he could. The creature roared in agony. In it's thrashing it threw Cody off, with incredible power. Cody hit the tree and landed with a sickening thud. He still held the knife in his hand. The distressed rat turned its attention to the aggressor that had stabbed it.

"Cody!" Zack reached for his brother as he ran. A strange blue aura enveloped Zack's hand, and a matching one was around Cody.

Cody looked up at the rat bearing down on him. He clutched the kitchen knife in his hand and thrust it as hard as he could toward the rat. He closed his eyes and hoped for the best. If he did enough damage to the rat, it might buy Zack enough time to escape. He felt himself be enveloped by a strange sensation. He opened his eyes and he was surrounded by a blue aura. It gave him renewed strength. He put more power behind his thrust and watched it enter into the rat's forehead. The creature vanished in a puff of gray smoke. When the smoke dissipated, three pieces of gold lay on the ground. Cody looked to his twin. Zack still stood with his hand out. The blue aura had disappeared from both of them.

"What was that?" Zack asked in disbelief. "I just…" He stared at both of his hands. "Did you see that blue stuff too?"

"Yeah, I did." Cody remained on the ground, staring at the gold nearby. "You saw that rat vanish into smoke, right?"

"Yeah, I did." Zack confirmed. He helped Cody to his feet. "What is this place?" Zack asked.

"Still have no idea," Cody said as he picked up the pieces of gold on the ground. He held them up to his eyes for inspection. "How did you do...what you did?" Cody asked.

"I dunno. I just saw you in danger and I reached out. Then...that happened."

"It made me stronger. I could feel more power behind my knife swing."

"Can you do that too?" Zack asked. Cody shrugged, but he held his hand out. No aura came the extremity. He tried thrusting it multiple times, but nothing happened each time. Cody frowned. "Let me see if I can do it again." Zack extended his arm and the blue aura surrounded his hand, and Cody. The two looked shocked.

"How are you doing that?" Cody asked, his jaw dropped.

"I think it has to do with what I'm thinking. I was thinking about saving you when I did it before, so I did it again! It works!" Zack was beaming with pride. Cody extended his own hand again, but to no avail. He scratched his head.

"But i'm thinking the same thing." He was disappointed that he didn't have a special power like Zack, but the two had more pressing concerns. If there were more giant rats in this forest, the two were in for a much more difficult journey than they had anticipated. "In any case, we should grab the packs and keep moving. I don't want to stick around and wait for more rats."

"Good point," Zack said. He began his jog to get the packs, when his leg gave out. Zack yelled in pain as he crumpled to the ground. Both hands immediately clutched his leg. His adrenaline had subsided, and the pain he'd been ignoring was now front and center. Cody ran to his side. Zack was taking quick breaths.

"Easy, Zack," Cody said patting his brother's back. "Take deep breaths, or you'll hyperventilate." Zack obeyed. "I'm gonna take a look at it." Cody reached for Zack's pant leg, but he rolled out of the way.

"Stop it! It's fine! Just give me a minute!" He yelled.

"Quit acting like this, just let me see how bad it is!" Cody yelled back. Zack kept fighting. Cody had tried to keep his composure, but his frustrations had been mounting all day. He didn't know where he was, and it didn't seem like a real place. Now, Zack was injured and wouldn't accept any help. He couldn't keep it in anymore. He lurched at Zack, and pinned his shoulders to the ground. Zack grunted and tried to knock Cody off, but had no luck.

"Get off me!" he shouted. Cody held him down. Ordinarily, Cody could never overpower

Zack. Zack was surprised. There was nothing wrong with his core, or upper body strength. Why couldn't keep Cody from pinning him? Even Cody seemed surprised at his ability to keep Zack suppressed.

"I just want to help! Let me take a look at your leg, and maybe I can try to make it hurt less," Zack's face turned red from embarrassment. Cody wondered if it was from a realization that he was throwing a tantrum, or that he had been pinned by his physically weaker twin. Zack stopped struggling and looked off to the side. Cody released the pressure from his brother's shoulders. He removed Zack's sneaker and carefully rolled up Zack's pant leg.

"You done this before, Dr. Dork?" Zack asked. At least his sense of humor was back. He had gotten himself to a seated position.

"No, but I don't want to hurt your leg anymore, so I'm being cautious." Cody finished rolling at Zack's knee. His shin was in awful condition. It had bruised horribly, covering Zack's skin in a purplish hue.

"Cool," Zack said, looking at his wound.

"Well, I'm not a doctor, but it doesn't look broken," Cody said.

"So, you can't do anything about it?" Zack folded his arms.

"I would say the smartest thing to do would be to keep as much pressure off it as possible. If you had something to put your weight on, that would help." Cody began to eye his surroundings for anything that could be used.

"How about you just carry me," Zack snorted.

"Not a chance," Cody said as he zeroed in on a new target. There was a thick branch hanging from the tree they'd been sitting under. A good enough leap, and he might be able to pull it down. It was long and thin, but sturdy. Zack could use it as a walking stick. Cody stood under the stick, looking up at it. Zack watched from where he was sitting. Cody made a leap for the stick and swung his hands at it. He landed with nothing to show for the effort. He made another attempt, but whiffed again.

"Look, I'm sorry about giving you a hard time, but do you really need to make a switch?" Zack chided. Cody ignored his brother's taunt. He needed to think of a way to get the stick down. He looked at Zack, helpless on the ground, similar to how he had been moments before.

"I've got it!" Cody exclaimed. "Do that blue aura thing to me again!" He bent his knees under the stick. Zack raised an eyebrow

"Why?"

"Just do it!" Zack shrugged, and he extended his arm. The blue aura enveloped his hand and Cody felt the same powerful sensation he had felt before. He leapt with all his might. He got tremendous height and clasped his hands around the stick and yanked it free. When he landed on the ground, he couldn't help but holler in joy. "That was amazing, Zack!"

Zack leaned back on his palms as Cody inspected the stick he'd just pulled from the tree. He tried to summon the energy to stand. Cody was already beside him with his arm out. Zack sighed to himself, and accepted his brother's assistance. Cody handed him the stick.

"Use it as a walking stick," Cody said. "Just place your weight on your other leg and use this to keep your balance." Yet another thing Cody was knowledgeable about. Zack stared at his feet. He knew he hadn't been treating Cody well since they arrived in this strange place. Cody was always mild mannered, and never got physical with Zack, even if Zack sometimes deserved it. He'd pushed Cody far enough today, and wanted to apologize, but he didn't know the best way to.

He looked up, prepared to try, but Cody spoke first, "I'm sorry, Zack." Zack was shocked to see that Cody looked ashamed. "I knew you were hurt, and I took it too far by pinning you to the ground. I had no right to do that to you." Zack couldn't help but laugh.

"I was going to apologize to you," Zack sighed. "I knew I was hurt, but I wouldn't admit it. I've been slowing us down, and putting us in danger. I was trying to show off that I'm strong and could power through it." Cody responded with a laugh of his own.

"Alright, then. Let's agree to forgive each other for our tempers and work together to figure out what's going on here!" Cody stuck out his hand, and Zack accepted it. "Besides, i get the feeling, the only way for us to make any kind of progress, is to head through this forest."

"I think you might be right," Zack said. With a shared sigh, the twins grabbed the backpacks and slung them over their shoulders. Then, with renewed vigor, they made their way into the forest.


	4. Chapter 4: Summerville

CHAPTER 4 - SUMMERVILLE

The twins continued their arduous grind through the dense forest. Cody stayed close to his brother. He wanted to check for danger up ahead, but he felt that left Zack susceptible to danger sneaking up from behind. The best method to keep Zack safe, was to stay by his side. Zack was using his walking stick to balance his weight, but Cody could tell he was struggling. It was hard to keep his eyes from Zack's leg. Zack suddenly stopped walking.

"Look, I know what you're doing," he said.

"Doing?"

"Knock it off, Cody. I know you're concerned about my leg, but if you keep staring at it, and treating me like this, I'm gonna use my new walking stick to hit you!" Zack had enough of Cody's protection. He was glad that his brother was concerned, but he didn't have to be so obvious about it. To prove he wasn't messing around, Zack lightly tapped Cody on the shoulder with the stick. Cody nodded, and the two continued walking.

The twins still had no idea where they were going, and the paths in the forest were even less defined. The thick canopy also allowed few rays from the sun through to the forest floor. Zack and Cody were truly wandering without a direction. The two walked for hours and the already dim forest became darker. Night would soon fall.

"We should consider setting up a camp soon," Cody suggested.

"In the forest of death? I don't think so!" Zack called back to him. "I say we walk until we're out of the forest!"

"I already can't see well, and there may be other creatures in this forest. I don't want to die here!" Cody argued back. He wasn't fond of the idea of spending the night in the forest either. He felt sure they were being watched by dangerous creatures, and they were waiting for their opportunity to strike. At least if they stopped to build a camp, they could at least see what they were fighting. "Please, Zack? We don't know how big this forest is! We've been walking all day!"

Zack stopped again and glared at his brother. He wiped his sweaty bangs out of his eyes. Zack knew that Cody raised a good point, but he didn't trust the forest. He could feel the monsters watching both of them. If they stopped to make camp, they might as well wrap themselves up for the creatures. He didn't want to give them that chance. At least if they quickened their pace, maybe they could reach the end. Then Zack got an idea. He held out his hand. It began to glow with the blue aura, lighting up the area around Zack.

"Light problem solved." Zack grinned. "Let's keep walking."

"Zack…" Cody started to protest, but Zack ignored him and walked away.

"I'd recommend you keep up, Cody! It's gonna be really dark soon, and you said you can't see!"

Cody was in shock. He knew Zack was stubborn, but how did he not see that Cody was in the right. His leg was still injured, and he could use the rest. Cody was even willing to keep watch for the full night to allow Zack to get the rest he needed. The more he thought about it, the angrier Cody got. He'd had enough of Zack's cavalier attitude, and it was time to confront him. Cody walked in front of his brother, and stopped. Zack seemed annoyed, but was smirking.

"What?" Zack snarkily asked.

"We're gonna set up camp, and rest your leg," Cody said as forcefully as he could.

"We're almost at the end of the forest," Zack said matter of factly. Cody's mouth dropped.

"You say that based on what?" Cody motioned to the continuous trees around him. "It's been nothing but trees for hours! Nothing's changed!"

"My gut tells me we're almost out," Zack smiled to himself, puffing out his chest. Cody gritted his teeth. He was at his breaking point. With two fingers, he jabbed Zack in the stomach, causing him to double over in a coughing fit.

"Your 'gut'!" Cody yelled "Is what got us in this mess in the first place! If you hadn't jumped for those tools, we'd be at home! You don't pay attention, Zack!" Zack looked up at him pathetically, but Cody was on a roll. "Your reckless behavior might be fine running away from Moseby, but here, it could kill you! Do you get that?"

"I get it," Zack said meekly.

Cody ran his fingers through his hair, looking away from Zack. He knew his brother would play meager for sympathy. He didn't want to fall for it. Although, Cody knew he didn't need to blow up. Zack didn't get a free pass because he was hurt. Cody heard the cracking of leaves, indicating that Zack had stepped closer.

"I know this place is dangerous. I understand what you're saying, but I know I'm right," Zack said softly. Cody's jaw dropped as he watched his brother walk by him. He stood frozen, as Zack began to shrink into the distance. Zack walked, but didn't turn around. His ears were at full attention, waiting for Cody to hit him, or to stop him. The two had agreed to work together to get out of their predicament, but they'd both done a bad job of that. He felt bad for how he was treating Cody. Zack had often taken advantage of his brother's nature to get what he wanted. This was another one of those times. Eventually, he heard the pounding of feet coming toward him indicating that Cody had caught up. Zack gripped his walking stick tightly.

"I'll give it a bit more time, but if we don't see the end, we're stopping. I don't care if I have to tackle you to the ground," Cody said flatly.

"Fine."

The two walked in silence. They had gotten through another fight. Cody always relied on their bond as twins to get them through these disagreements. He knew he allowed Zack to push him around more than necessary, but they needed to be together. Cody felt more confident in himself since waking up in this place. He felt a toughness, he'd never felt before. He probably could survive without Zack, but he knew that Zack couldn't without him. His leg was in bad condition, and he was definitely weakened. He'd be easy pickings. Cody needed to look out for him, no matter how frustrating he was.

After another hour of walking in silence, the trees began to let up. The thick forest gave way. The trees became more sporadic, and the twins found themselves in a small village. The brick buildings were quaint and set up evenly along little dirt roads. The two brothers did not acknowledge each other at their accomplishment. The roads were lit with fiery torches allowing for a crude sense of direction. There wasn't anybody else on the streets at this time of night. The duo heard a great deal of noise coming from one of the larger buildings. It sounded like music. Someone was playing a piano. A glow seemed to emanate from the building, drawing the twins toward it.

The building had a large sign hanging off the door frame. A custom painted beer glass said, 'TIPSY FLAGON BAR & INN.' Cody started to walk towards the front door.

"Something you want to say to me?" Zack asked. Cody turned to him and pondered the question.

"Nope." He opened the door to the inn, leaving Zack on the street. They hadn't fought like this in awhile, and Zack knew it was his fault. He'd make it up to Cody later. He brushed off the argument and followed his brother inside. The tavern was filled with an array of tables. Each one had four stools lying upside down on the tabletops. There was a woman playing a piano in the back corner of the establishment. She was a skilled player as she effortlessly hammered the keys and sung her song. The twins didn't know the words, but smiled at the familiarity of it. The two went to a table and pulled two of the stools down. They sat and listened to the concert.

When she was finished, the boys clapped for her, which surprised her. She turned to face them, embarrassed. She picked up her patchwork dress at the knees and ran over to the bar. She easily mantled over it, ready to serve.

"Now, what kind of customer doesn't ask to be served?" She pulled down to glasses. "What's your poison, boys?" She pulled a blue bottle from a shelf, spinning it in her hands. "Not often we get strange dressed folk like you." Maybe you're from 'cross the country? I got a friend over there. She sent me this bottle. Potent stuff, from what I hear!" She put the bottle down on the bar. "Or perhaps you two need a room for the night?"

"Actually, we're just trying to figure out where we are. We just came from the forest…"

"The forest?" she interrupted. "What were y'all doing in the Endless Forest?" her bubbly expression had grown dark. She eyed the twins with suspicion.

"Kind of a long story," Zack muttered.

"No point in being dishonest," Cody said as he stood up. "We woke up here today, beyond the forest. We've walked all day, looking for any other person, and we found this town. We don't know anybody, or anything here. We just want information." Cody kept the story simple and was as clear as he could be. He was certain the woman would be receptive to the twins, but he wanted to be cautious.

"A bed would also be great," Zack added. "My everything is tired." Cody rolled his eyes. The woman paused for a moment. She seemed to nod in agreement with herself and hopped back over the bar. She looked at each twin in turn and started to laugh.

"I can help you two out!" She exclaimed. "You two are in Summerville. Nicest little town this side of the Shoal River!" She mentioned her town with pride. Cody nodded at the new information. At least this place had a name. "As for a bed, i can get you that too. This is an inn after all."

"That'd be great," Cody's ears perked up. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of the gold they'd obtained from defeating the giant rat. He handed it to the woman. She moved it between her fingers, inspecting it closely. She put it up to her lips and bit down on it. Zack and Cody exchanged confused looks.

"It's a trick to tell if it's fake," she said. She tossed it back to a confused Cody. "On the house."

"Sweet!" Zack was happy to hear they didn't have to part with the gold.

"Why?" Cody was now the one to be suspicious.

"Shut up, Cody," Zack said through gritted teeth.

"Two of you remind me of my own kids," the woman said. "I got twins. They're off adventuring, and never visit." She gave a hopeful smile, remembering her children. "Also, if what you say is true, you probably don't have much of that." She motioned to the gold in Cody's hand. "It'd be smarter for you to use it to visit the shop tomorrow morning."

"Shop?" Zack piped up.

"Yeah," the woman folded her arms and leaned against the bar. "Arka runs it. Sells everything under the sun. He might give you a good deal, if I tell him to." She winked at the boys.

"What should we get?" Cody asked. "We have food and clothes," he added, adjusting the bag on his back.

"If the other clothes you got, look like what you have, I'd burn it," she scoffed at the clothes the two were wearing.

Cody smiled but Zack was shaking his head ferociously. "I'm not letting Cody burn a Paul Pierce jersey. It's bad enough that he has to wear it." Zack folded his arms in disgust.

"Maxine patrols this town with her group of bandits. She doesn't take kindly to oddly dressed strangers," the woman said in a hushed tone.

"We're not here to cause trouble," Cody said. "If you think it'll be good for us to change, than we will."

Zack rolled his eyes. Cody was pulling a teacher's pet routine. He had a way of charming people into getting what he wanted. Zack loudly stood from his chair causing the other two to look at him. He inquisitively cocked his head to the side and asked, "Where is our room? I'm really tired and would like to rest my leg." Cody glared at his interruption. The woman smiled.

"Follow me, boys"

Zack and Cody followed the woman up a small staircase. On the second floor there was a hallway with two doors on each side. The woman led them to the end of the hallway to the door on the right. She opened it up revealing a small room with two beds right next to each other. There was a small chest in the corner of the room with two drawers. There was no other furniture to be seen.

"You two can share a room, right?" the woman asked.

"We'll manage," Cody said quietly. "Thank you again."

The woman could sense the tension between the two brothers. She nodded solemnly as she made her way out of the room.

"If the two of you are up early enough, I can have a breakfast ready for you." she called over her shoulder.

Cody closed the door behind her. He took a deep breath and turned to Zack. He had thrown his backpack on the floor and was lying on the bed with his eyes closed.

"What is your problem, exactly?" Cody demanded

"I don't know what you're talking about," Zack said airily. "You seem to have everything under control. Keep doing what you're doing."

"Why are you acting this way? I thought we agreed to work together to get out of this." Cody said, not hiding his exasperation

Zack swung himself out of his bed and was in Cody's face in seconds. There was a harsh glow to his blue eyes. It caused Cody to back off until his back was against the wall.

Zack sighed. He knew this wasn't Cody's fault. He was just trying to keep the two of them alive, and he'd been successful thus far. Zack's frustrations had just gotten the better of him. He took a deep breath, and felt the tension leave his body. He walked back to his bed and resumed his resting position. Cody stayed against the wall.

"I'm tired, Cody. I'm frustrated. I'm sick of you treating me like a baby!" Zack vented all of his frustrations to Cody, who, to his credit, didn't say a word, or move as Zack spoke. "I can't help but think that you're right, and this is all my fault."

Cody stayed silent. He allowed his brother to get everything off his chest. Cody was frustrated too. He could vent about Zack's attitude, but kept it to himself. Zack couldn't bottle up his emotions as well as Cody could. So, he allowed Zack to vent as long as he needed. When he finished his rant, Zack finally turned to face his twin.

"I want to go home," he admitted.

"I do too," Cody said quietly. "I just don't know how to. What I do know is that this isn't your fault. I needed someone to blame, and you were right there." Zack's silhouetted figure gave a nod in agreement. Cody offered a thin smile. "We'll figure this out. We always do. Until then, we have to stick together. No more petty fighting." Zack didn't respond right away. Cody went over to the other bed. He heard short breaths coming from his brother.

"Good night, Cody," Zack finally whispered.

"Good night, Zack," Cosy whispered back. He put his head down on the soft, feather filled pillow. Hopefully he would wake up to the smell of his mother cooking breakfast. To the sounds of the bustling Boston sidewalks. It wasn't much, but the hope allowed him to drift into a restless sleep.


	5. Chapter 5: Preparations

CHAPTER 5 - PREPARATION

Cody Martin did not sleep well his first night in Summerville. Various nightmares woke him up throughout the night, preventing him from getting the rest he needed. Eventually, the morning rays of the sun forced him out of bed. He looked at himself in the small mirror above the chest in the corner of the room. His blonde hair was stringy and wet from the sweat and grime of the previous day. His level of uncleanliness caused him to cringe. He was a bit of a neat freak and the feeling of grime on his skin raised his anxiety levels. He rubbed his eyes to ease the burning sensation, but only succeeded in deepening the shade of red.

Cody noticed that Zack wasn't in his own bed. It was rare that Zack was up before Cody, but the promise of a cooked breakfast must have convinced him to leave the room. Cody shuffled into the hall and proceeded downstairs. Sure enough, Zack was sitting at one of the tables, attacking a plate of food before him. He was so preoccupied with his scrambled eggs that he didn't notice Cody sit down across from him. Cody just watched his brother eat for a moment. It was like he hadn't eaten in years. Cody's stomach growled, reminding him that all he'd had to eat since waking up in the hotel was a sleeve of crackers. The loud growl alerted Zack.

"Hey!" Zack said, a bright smile on his face.

"Hey, yourself," Cody replied.

"You look awful," Zack chuckled as he shoved a forkful of egg into his mouth.

"I saw," Cody said. "I wanted to break the mirror."

"Eh, it's not the mirror's fault."

Cody laughed along with the banter. He was relieved that Zack was in a cheery mood. It likely meant that his leg was healing. Zack watched Cody drifting away in his own thoughts. He put his fork down. "You know, I think my leg's on the upswing." He backed the chair away from the table, and rested his leg next to the plate of eggs. He rolled up his pants to show his wound. The swelling had reduced significantly, and the discoloration of Zack's skin had died down too.

"Feet off the table! What's wrong with you?" The innkeeper had arrived with another plate. Zack turned red as he removed his leg from the table. "Who taught you table manners?" she chided as she placed the plate of eggs and bacon in front of Cody. His stomach growled loudly, knowing that food was nearby. Cody began wolfing down the food in front of him. The woman chuckled. "Easy, kid. That's a great way to throw it up. I clean up enough chuck at the bar."

Cody slowed himself down. He took a bite of a bacon strip. The strip of meat crunched in his mouth, expelling juices that soothed his throat. He closed his eyes. It was exactly as his mom made it. He looked at the innkeeper. She was smiling at him as he ate. He noticed that she bore a striking resemblance to his mother. She had short spiky hair, like their mom, but the innkeeper's hair was black instead of dirty blonde. The innkeeper also had a similar warm smile, and feisty sense of humor.

"Thank you again for helping us," Cody said gratefully. "I don't think we properly did that last night."

"Ah, it's fine," she said, waving it off. "Like I said, you kids remind me of my own."

"I don't think we even told you our names," Zack said. He'd finished everything on his plate. Not even a crumb remained. "I'm Zack."

"Cody."

"Nice to officially meet you Zack and Cody. I'm Kara. I'm the proprietress of the Tipsy Flagon. Happy to help you find your way here in Summerville." she smiled brightly as she introduced herself.

"That reminds me," Zack piped up. "You said that we should go shopping with someone named Arka."

"That I did." Kara nodded. "I already told him you were coming. He'll be able to properly set you two up with the equipment you need. He can probably also point you guys in the right direction on where you should go next."

Cody and Zack shared upset looks. They both liked Kara, and were upset to be leaving her hospitality behind. She seemed to notice that.

"Aw, don't worry boys. It seems like what you two need are answers, and you're not going to find them in a podunk town like Summerville. I do hope you find what you're looking for."

"How can we repay you?" Cody asked. "You've been so kind to us, and you didn't even accept our gold." Kara hesitated as she thought about Cody's question.

"Make sure you stop by and say hi again," she finally said. "That's how you can repay me. I made the mistake of not preparing my sons for their adventures and they haven't come by in a long time. I wanted to get it right this time." She was smiling, but there was clear hurt in her voice.

After breakfast, Zack and Cody grabbed their backpacks. Kara helped them empty them of items they wouldn't need. She also gave them packages of food that were better than the pop tarts and crackers that Cody had packed in his rush to leave the Tipton. Zack was upset to see the junkfood go, but knew that Kara's food would give them the energy they needed to continue their journey. Kara also allowed Zack and Cody to keep their clothes inside the chest in the room they had stayed in. She winked and said, "It's an incentive for you boys to come back."

She gave the two of them a bear hug and wished them well on their journey. With heightened spirits, the twins made their way to Arka's General Store. The building seemed unassuming. It was smaller than Kara's inn, and didn't have the flair of an amusing sign. Plain black lettering was nailed above the door. Zack and Cody shared a nod, and entered the store.

The shop was musty and dark. The sun's rays had crept into the shop, and Zack could see the dust floating through the air. He watched Cody scrunch his nose at the uncleanliness of the shop. He couldn't help but chuckle at his brother's discomfort. Undeterred, Zack made his way through the aisles, looking at the merchandise for sale. Adorning the shelves, were strange odds and ends that Zack didn't understand. There were various rocks, flowers, and herbs. As he made his way through the store, he saw glass bottles of all shapes and sizes on display. Every imaginable color of liquid was contained within them. Zack instinctively reached for a container filled with a royal blue liquid. It looked to be the same glowing blue color that enveloped his hand earlier.

"That's interesting," Zack said aloud. Cody joined him. He too stared at the liquid.

"Wonder what it does," he mused as he took the bottle from Zack.

"That's a very special concoction," said a voice from a far corner of the room. The twins turned to face a tall balding man. He was cradling large metal accessories in his arms. He carefully put them down on a work table, and walked over to the boys. He wiped his hands on his smock and took the bottle from Cody. "This...will give the drinker a boost in strength for a few minutes. Developed it myself." He smiled brightly at his own invention.

"That's pretty cool, but I think I can already do that," Zack said. He held up his hand and it glowed the same blue color. The man's eyes grew wide as Zack caused the aura to appear around Cody. The man responded by grabbing Zack's hand. He held it up to his eyes. He jerked his head down to force his thick rimmed glasses from the top of his balding head to comfortably seated on the bridge of his nose.

"A magic user. Now that is a rare gift, indeed. I should have known from your strange garments you weren't from Summerville. This is wonderful news!" He let go of Zack's hand, and noting the confused looks on the boy's faces, he held his arms up. "Sorry, that was probably a bit much, huh?"

"You said it was magic?" Cody asked, confirming Zack's power.

"That's right!" the man said eagerly. "Do you use magic also?" the man rubbed his hands together hopefully.

"Not that I'm aware of," Cody said. The man seemed disappointed.

"Kara didn't mention that either one of you had magic, so I guess I can't be too upset about it." the man was back to a cheery demeanor. "I'm Arka, by the way. This is my humble shop. Kara said, you guys are on a quest to find your way home, right? Well I can get you anything you need." The man put his arm around Zack's shoulder. "For you, my young friend, I can help you hone that little spell of yours."

"You can?!" Zack's ears perked up upon hearing this. He allowed Arka to lead him to a different room of the store. Cody silently followed. Arka had led them to a room filled with clothing, and armor. Cody's eyes lit up as he looked at the different garments available. Arka was still busying himself with Zack. The two really had really hit it off. Zack seemed just as excited at the attention, as Arka was to give it. Cody quietly looked at the items on the racks. He pulled a black shirt off a rack and stared at it. Golden stripes ran from the chest of the garment out in various directions like the sun's rays. Cody sneered at it.

"I'd be careful with that," Arka called over. He had pulled a large silver cloak from a shelf, and was showing it to Zack. "That's one of the more powerful pieces of equipment in this shop." Cody scoffed at this, but Arka didn't laugh along with him. He ran the garment through his fingers. It felt like a thick nylon.

"Powerful? How?" Cody asked.

"Put it on," Arka said flatly. "Test it out."

"If it's as powerful as you say, we definitely can't afford it."

"Kara told me you guys were hard up for money. What have you got?"

"Three gold pieces," Zack said.

Arka sighed. He knew that wasn't a lot of money. He took his glasses off and cleaned them on his dirty smock. It was unlikely this had cleaned anything at all.

"Tell you what," he said. "I'll give you guys a tab. I'll take your three gold pieces as a down payment. When you find your answers, you come back, and we'll discuss it then."

"That sounds great!" Zack had already put the cloak on over his clothes. It was silver, with dark purple fur lining around his ankles and in patches around his neck. "This cloak is amazing. I feel great!"

"It's like a million degrees outside, Zack. You'll melt," Cody said incredulously.

"Not true," Arka said. "That cloak regulates body temperature. Also it will hone his magical powers. When he uses that spell of his it'll be stronger." Arka pulled out a brown fingerless glove, and gave it to Zack. "Pair it with that, and it'll last longer too." Zack was smiling from ear to ear. Cody folded his arms.

"I thought you said magic users were rare. How do you have all this equipment ready for them?"

"Do you just exist to kill fun," Zack asked.

"No. I exist to get us home. This all sounds too good to be true. Not only does he have amazing equipment, but it's perfect for us, and he's willing to give it to us for three pieces of gold. Something doesn't seem right." Cody finished his rant and stared at Arka. His expression hadn't changed. He didn't even flinch at Cody's accusations.

"I understand your skepticism," he finally said. "I'll admit that it's odd to have this equipment for a rare niche of people. The thing is, they were once abundant."

"What happened to them?" Zack asked.

"They were killed off," Arka said solemnly. The Demon Lord made sure of that. The ones he didn't enslave anyway." Arka put his hands longingly on the shelves of equipment. "I've kept making these items in the hope that I'll one day have magic users to give them to." Cody unfolded his arms. He felt bad for his outburst now. "I like Kara a lot, and I want to help her. Her two kids were magic users. She's convinced herself that they're still adventuring somewhere. Deep down I think she knows the truth, but won't admit it to herself."

"I had no idea," Cody said quietly. Arka walked up to him and knelt to his eye level and smiled.

"It's alright. I want to help you guys. It's your turn."

"He can't do any magic though," Zack said.

"That we know of," Cody retorted defensively.

"It's okay," Arka assured him. He grabbed the matching lower half of the garment Cody had. "Try it on."

While Cody went in a back room to change Zack went up to Arka.

"Sorry about him. He's been snippy with everyone."

"You boys remind me a lot of Kara's kids. They could be difficult at times. It's tough to be young in this world. There's high expectations. Go out into the world, have an adventure, make something of yourself. It's a hard thing to ask of an adult, let alone a teenager."

Cody returned from the backroom. He was looking down at his new outfit. The shirt was tight against his stomach, chest and arms. The pants were looser fitting, with small holes dotting the shin and lower leg, allowing the garment to breathe.

"What do you think," Zack asked.

"I don't know," Cody admitted. "What am I supposed to feel?"

"Let's find out," Arka said. Without warning he threw a straight punch that hit Cody right in the chest. Cody staggered back and fell over.

"What are you doing?" Zack screamed as he ran to his brother's aide.

"I'm fine, Zack," Cody said, voice full of surprise. "It didn't hurt. It just caught me off guard."

Arka smiled. "Until you figure out what your abilities are, might as well make it hard to hurt you." He beamed at the two of them.

"Now we just need a weapon, and we should be good," Zack said excitedly.

"About that…" Arka rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Materials for weapons aren't exactly in abundance here in Summerville. Plenty of stuff for making these clothes, but nothing for swords, or maces." He saw the look of disappointment on Zack and Cody's faces. "Not to worry though. If you go East out of town, you can make it to Denmall. They're on the other side of the Shoal River and they sell good weapons." He winked at them. "Course they won't cut you a great deal, though. So make sure you have some gold on you."

The twins nodded and Arka led them out of the store. Before they walked out the door Arka took off his glasses. He had clearly been pondering what he wanted to say to them.

"Thank you again, Arka," Cody said to him. Zack nodded in agreement. Arka brushed off the gratitude.

"Listen, boys…" He scratched behind his ear. "I have a favour to ask."

"Of course," Cody said. "Look at what you've done for us!"

"I know that Kara's kids were taken by the Demon Lord." Zack and Cody shared worried looks. "They're a handful, but they're good kids. I don't know where your adventure will take you, but if you get any information on their whereabouts…"

"Absolutely," Zack said. "Anything we learn, you'll learn too!" Cody didn't say anything. He just smiled at Arka.

"Thank you so much. That would make Kara so happy. Even if the news is bad, the closure is enough."

With a final handshake, Zack and Cody left Arka's shop and began their trip to Denmall.


	6. Chapter 6: Bandit

CHAPTER 6 - BANDIT

"Why did you promise that?" Cody finally asked, after they'd put some distance between themselves and Summerville. Zack stared at his brother. "We're in no position to look into two missing people in a world we know nothing about. The missing magic users are none of our business."

"They just helped us. If I can help them, I will," Zack said. He wasn't in the mood to argue with Cody. Kara and Arka had just gone above and beyond for the two of them. Helping them out in return was the obvious.

"I just think we should be in agreement before we agree to help people with their problems," Cody said.

"You're unbelievable," Zack scoffed. He hoped that Cody's bad attitude was due to lack of sleep. He'd heard his brother moving around the night before. It was likely his sleep was constantly interrupted by various nightmares. The bags under his eyes were still pronounced. "Well, we can't help anyone until we get some weapons," Zack said before Cody could retort. "Let's find some monsters, get some gold, and get moving." Cody just nodded.

The path to Denmall was heavily wooded. It didn't take long for Zack and Cody to have a monster encounter. Two rats were eating underneath one of the trees. Cody saw them and halted his brother. The rats hadn't noticed the boys yet. Cody was relieved. It allowed the two of them time to formulate a good strategy for taking them out. Cody remembered their struggles with a single rat the previous day. He knew they'd had received upgrades in terms of their clothing, but they still lacked a proficient weapon for taking the rats out.

"Let's go get them," Zack said. There was a fire in his eyes as he longed to get at the rats.

"Easy, cowboy," Cody warned. "We need a strategy."

"Good point," Zack agreed. He took the knife and ran at the rats. They both saw him coming just as he plunged the knife into the head of the first rat. It immediately disappeared into a puff of smoke.

"Zack!" Cody called after him. This wasn't the strategy Cody had in mind. He was hoping that they'd be able to take both rats out at the same time. Zack had just succeeded in leaving himself open. The second rat screeched at Zack in an attempt to intimidate, which had no effect. Zack had the knife at the ready. Cody had joined his brother. It was two on one. The rat's fight or flight instincts kicked in. It took off into the more heavily wooded part of the forest. Zack went to give chase, but Cody held him back by the hood of his cloak.

"That's more gold, you're letting run away," Zack said incredulously.

"It ran away because you're an idiot," Cody said flatly. He picked up the two gold pieces off the ground and put them into his pocket. "If you'd waited, we could have come up with a way to take out both of them at the same time."

"Oh yeah?" Zack chided. "What exactly would you have used to take one of the rats out? Annoyance?" Zack chuckled at his own joke. Cody frowned. Zack was finally healthy and making up for lost time bragging about how strong he was. He twirled the knife in his hand. "I think we go into the forest, and finish that rat off. We have protection now. I got that rat in one shot!" Zack could barely contain his excitement.

"Look, I know you're excited, but we need to be smart about this. We don't know what's in that forest. There could be way stronger creatures than just a rat, and we'll need more than a knife to take them out. We'll also need strategy." Cody's attempts to remind his brother to pay attention fell on deaf ears. Zack made his way into the forest.

"My strategy is to kill them before they kill me. Then we'll be all set. If you're upset that you can't use the weapon as well as me, then stay here. I'll get all the gold and take care of us." Zack started pushing branches out of his way as he trudged into the forest. Cody sighed loudly and followed his brother. His irritation with Zack was growing again. How many times would the agree to work together, only for the very notion to be ignored within hours?

Zack managed to take out four rats in the forest, and the boys had a respectable pile of gold. Zack put the ten pieces he'd acquired in his cloak pocket. He had a big smile on his face. He'd done all the work, and Cody had simply watched him work.

"Let's not hang out in the forest too long," Cody said.

"Knock it off. It's the middle of the day," Zack reminded him. Cody sighed, he wasn't going to be able to get through to Zack about anything right now. He figured the best course was to just not say anything to him at all. Zack made his way deeper into the forest, whistling a tune to himself. Cody was on full alert. His eyes were darting in all directions, and he kept his head on a swivel. He didn't want any creature getting a jump on them from any direction. He figured the best way to ensure this was to keep moving, and keep looking. Cody heard a strange rumbling noise. It sounded like a growl. He stopped and tried to tune his hearing to the smallest sounds. He could hear Zack breaking twigs and leaves under his shoes. He heard the rumble again.

"Zack!" Cody aggressively whispered at his brother's back. Zack paused to roll his eyes and turn back to Cody. The rumble got louder, and Zack's smirk had disappeared. He'd heard the noise too. Cody motioned for Zack to join him, and he obeyed. The two stood back to back, not making a sound, or moving a muscle. The rumble sounded like a gurgling roar. It was close by. The twin's were on the defensive, ready for whatever creature burst from the trees.

They hadn't anticipated the creature to attack from above. From the tree branches above, humanoid creature leapt at Zack and Cody. It landed right on top of Cody knocking him to the ground. Cody was holding the snapping, snarling creature at bay. He was staring headlong into it's razor sharp fangs. It's green skin was putrid and full of boils. It reached its bony fingers for Cody's neck. Cody was struggling to hold it at bay. He let out a desperation kick, hitting the creature in the chest. It staggered backwards. Cody got to his feet and joined his stunned twin.

"What is that?" Zack asked. The green creature was drooling as it snapped its attention from Zack to Cody. "Is that a goblin?" It seemed to be. The creature's pointed ears twitched as the two boys talked amongst themselves.

"Whatever it is, it's strong," Cody put his hand near his neck. "It was tough just to get it off of me."

"That's you," Zack said. He had his knife out and made his way toward the goblin.

"Zack, wait! We need a different strategy!" As usual, Cody's attempt was futile. Zack ran at the goblin and ferociously swung the knife at the goblin's head. The agile creature was able to dodge the blow. It launched itself into Zack's stomach. Zack was doubled over, clutching his stomach. Cody could hear him gasping for air. The goblin didn't relent. It leapt at Zack's lowered chin, and hit him full force. Zack's head snapped back, and the force of the blow sent him to the ground. "Zack!" The goblin had leapt onto Zack's chest, and was ready to deal a killing blow. Cody dove at the goblin. His shoulder made contact, and the goblin was launched into the nearby tree. Shards of tree bark were scattered everywhere. The goblin fell face first to the ground, and disappeared into the familiar puff of smoke. A large chunk of gold was left in the monsters place. Cody picked the large piece of gold up and placed it in his pocket.

"Gold more important than me?" Zack called from the ground. He was weakly getting to his feet. Cody was seething. He'd just saved Zack's life, and he didn't even say thanks. Cody was done with Zack's attitude. It was time to get Zack's attention. Another near death experience had yet to sway his behavior. Cody calmly walked over to Zack and held his hand out. Zack accepted it and was helped to his feet. "Let's keep going," Zack said, not missing a beat. "We've got more gold to get!" He attempted to walk away, but Cody grabbed his shoulder. He aggressively turned Zack around. A dumbfounded expression was on Zack's face, and it made Cody even angrier. He couldn't contain his anger anymore. His fist made contact with Zack's cheek.

"Get yourself together and let's make our way to the river," Cody said through gritted teeth. He walked away. He wasn't interested in Zack's new pathetic, pity expression. He didn't want to hear any arguments. Zack needed to think about how he was acting, and Cody was tired of pleading his case. He made it out of the forest and was walking along the path. As Zack had done to him, he waited for his brother to catch up. It didn't take long for his brother to catch up. Cody said nothing. He just kept walking.

"Hey," Zack said.

"Not interested," Cody responded coldly.

"What do you want from me?" Zack asked.

"Really?" Cody stopped and turned to his twin. Zack looked honestly confused as to why he'd been punched, and why Cody was angry. "Zack…" Cody rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I'm tired of saying the same thing over and over. I'm all done. You do what you want. I'm not going to babysit you anymore." With that, he continued his walk.

"As if you're not frustrating!" Zack yelled at him. "You're passive aggressive with everyone who helps you, and then when you help someone, you want to be praised for it!" Cody got back in his brother's face. The tips of their noses were practically touching. "You're not perfect," Zack said.

"You say I'm passive aggressive after I punched you in the face? That's regular aggressive you stupid, stupid…" Cody thought of every insult he could lob his brother's way. Zack was breathing heavily, waiting for whatever pejorative Cody had in store. Cody took a deep breath and started laughing. "Of all people I had to be trapped in a strange place with, it had to be you." Zack's mouth fell open. He had been prepared for Cody to call him an idiot, or moron, or any other synonym. His actual insult hurt more than he'd expected. Zack looked away from his brother and backed off. He turned back to Cody, hoping that his demeanor had changed. Hoping that Cody felt bad for what he had said. Instead, Cody held his ground. He meant what he said.

"Aw, now that's not a nice thing to say!" The two boys were surprised by a high pitched voice nearby. Leaning against a post was a woman. She had long blonde hair, and wore a cranberry red jacket that went to her knees. She wore black leggings underneath it, and she was flanked by three similarly dressed people. "It's always sad to see family fight," she said to her comrades. They smiled at her comment.

"We don't want any trouble," Cody said. "We're just trying to get to Denmall."

"I know where that is," the girl said. "I can point the way, for a price."

"We know the way," Zack informed her.

"They know the way guys," she said to her companions. They continued to smile. "Let me rephrase. You need to cross the Shoal River to get to Denmall. There's a bridge, and there's a toll to cross that bridge."

"We're not paying you to cross a bridge," Zack said angrily.

"We don't have much to pay with anyway," Cody added.

"That's okay," she smiled. "I'm just going to take it anyway. Guys?"

With lightning speed, her three companions bolted toward Zack and Cody. A man in cranberry red, leather vest reached Cody. He swung with his forearm and hit Cody in the side of the head. This staggered him into the other man. He easily lifted Cody off the ground and slammed him onto the ground. Cody didn't have time to react and he was easily knocked out. The leader and the other girl sped towards Zack. He put his arms up to protect his face. He didn't see the leader get behind him and kick him behind his knee. He reached for the injured area, and was greeted with a combat boot to the cheek. He fell over, knocked out.

The girl and her group pilfered the twins pockets and backpacks. All of their gold, food, and their knife was taken.

"Sad," she said at their unconscious bodies. "Kids like this should really stay in Summerville."

She motioned for her followers to head back toward Denmall. Zack and Cody were left in the middle of the road. It took a few minutes for Cody to wake up. His vision was blurred, and his head was throbbing. He vaguely remembered a behemoth of a man lifting him into the air and slamming him into the ground. His head certainly hurt like that had happened. He shook the cobwebs loose, but it only aggravated his headache. He took in his surroundings and saw Zack, still knocked out. Thinking quickly, he reached for his backpack, but it was gone. He just realized that he'd been robbed.

He sighed as he shook Zack awake.

"Ow," was all Zack could muster.

"I know. I'm hurting too," Cody reassured him. He helped his brother to his feet. The two looked around.

"She robbed us," Zack said.

"She did," Cody confirmed.

"She beat the tar out of us."

"She did that too."

"What do we do?" Zack asked.

"I say we continue to Denmall. We can't go back to Summerville like this. We'll have let Arka and Kara down," Cody said as he brushed himself off.

"So you want to help them now?" Zack asked.

"I want to survive. I think we can do both," Cody admitted.

"We need to work together, I guess?" Zack scratched his head

"Let's leave that alone," Cody said, waving him off. "We're not going to see eye to eye on how to handle this. We just need to stay alive."

Zack nodded, and brushed dirt off of his cloak. They let out matching heavy sighs, and continued toward Denmall.


	7. Chapter 7: River

CHAPTER 7 - RIVER

The twins kept their guard up as they trudged toward Denmall. Being robbed had sullied their spirits. The two walked past monsters that appeared in their path. They had no means with which to fight them. Cody was deep in thought as they walked. He knew Zack had an ability that powered up whomever he wished to use it on. It was highly unlikely that only Zack would be given a power. Perhaps it had something to do with his thought process. Zack had mentioned that what he was thinking affected the spell. What was Cody missing? If he had some sort of offensive ability, he wouldn't have to worry about finding a weapon to use.

"You paying attention?" Zack asked. He had stopped walking to snap Cody out of his thoughts. "If we get jumped again, we both need to be paying attention."

"True," Cody admitted. He was trying to stay one step ahead of anything they could bump into. In his anger with his brother, he'd forgotten about the bandits that Kara had mentioned. He was trying not to chastise himself in front of Zack. He knew that he'd made a mistake and he was mostly to blame for them not having their gold, food, or sole weapon. He was supposed to be the calmer among the two of them. He was supposed to be the thinker. He'd instead let his emotions get the better of him, and they were both paying the price for it.

"Maybe we should rest for a bit?" Zack suggested, noting the continued look of worry on his brother's face. Cody didn't respond. He was once again lost in his thoughts. Zack could tell from Cody's expression that he was disappointed in himself. Cody often took pride in his ability to think for both of them, but in this strange world, he hadn't been successful at that. Zack knew their petty arguments were to blame for their situation. Cody meant well, but he could be hard to be around. He was stubborn, and could be tough to get to when his ideas weren't acknowledged. Zack nudged Cody and this briefly snapped him out of his reverie.

"Sorry," he said, shaking his head vigorously, as if to shake the distractions from his head. "I'm just...lost," he admitted.

"This is the path to Denmall as far as I can tell," Zack piped up. He was hoping this revelation would bring a smile to Cody's face. It did not. Cody stared at his brother blankly.

"It may be, but the problem is the number of monsters that could be on this path." Cody answered. "Also, there's that bandit. Her group destroyed us without breaking a sweat, and we had a weapon then." Cody sat in the middle of the road and put his fists to his temples. "Without one, we couldn't even defeat one of the rats! You can at least do a spell, but I can't! What good am I here?" Cody's frustrations had finally boiled over. He had turned beet red and was breathing heavily. Zack didn't know how to cheer Cody up. Cody was always good at keeping his own emotions in check. Even if he did get frustrated, it never kept him off his game for long. This time seemed different. Cody's head was in his hands.

"Well, we still gotta keep going," Zack said slowly. "Even if we can't buy weapons with gold, we can at least start asking around," he tried adding a little bit of hope at the end, but Cody didn't seem to buy it. He looked up at Zack with a strange smile.

"What do we ask, Zack? At this point, I honestly don't know anymore," Cody said. His voice was cracking as his blue eyes flashed. Zack felt himself backing away a little bit.

"I don't know, but we asked Kara and Arka, and they pointed us in this direction. That's a start," Zack retorted. Cody got to his feet and put himself inches from Zack's face. He didn't drop his gaze. Their eyes locked. Cody's pupils had dilated and the sclera was filled with red branching lines.

"I think I'll just look for somewhere to sleep," he finally said. His voice shaking.

"Okay. Maybe rest is a good idea," Zack said wearily, his brow furrowing. Cody's behavior wasn't one to change this rapidly. Zack was worried about his brother now. Upon hearing the agreement, Cody began walking without another word. Zack followed as the two continued in the direction of the Shoal River. Zack kept a few paces behind Cody. He couldn't explain Cody's strange behavior. Zack remembered his own behavior when he had his leg injury. Was Cody hiding an injury from him? He thought about using his power up spell on Cody. Maybe that would make him feel better. Or would it succeed in making Cody angry?

The sound of running water filled the boy's ears. They were at an arched bridge that crossed a large river. The water ran toward the endless fields on the horizon. Zack marveled at the sight. Cody didn't seem interested, and immediately made his way to the bridge. On the opposite river bank, stood all manner of brick buildings. The buildings were far more opulent than those of Summerville. The streets were paved with stones, and the buildings were more tightly packed together. This must be Denmall. Unlike its counterpart, Denmall's citizenry was out and about at this time of day. They went about their lives, exploring the shops, and filing into the restaurants. Zack was impressed by the little town. He too made his way over the bridge.

"Somebody help!" A voice called out from the far shoreline. Zack and Cody were at the apex of the bridge. Zack rushed to the edge of the bridge to see where the voice was calling from. A boy was standing on the bank of the river. He was frantically pacing back and forth. "We can't swim!" He cried out. Zack saw what had been distressing him. Another person was in the river and was caught in the current. Zack saw a young girl's head breaking the surface, as she struggled to call for help, but only succeeded in swallowing water.

"We've gotta help them," Zack said to Cody. He had a good plan. He'd use his power on Cody and he could swim to help her. He turned to tell Cody his plan, but Cody was casually walking to the end of the bridge. "Cody?" Zack ran up to his brother and turned him around. A blank expression was on his face. "Where are you going?" Cody seemed genuinely confused by the question.

"I'm going into the city," he said dully.

"What about them?"

"What about us?"

Zack backed off from Cody. Why wouldn't he want to help? The little girl was under water, and fighting the strong current. He wasn't sure how much time she had left. Thinking quickly Zack pulled the cloak over his head and tossed it to the ground. He climbed up to the bannister and prepared to leap into the water. He'd always been a strong swimmer, but this current looked stronger than anything he'd do in the Tipton pool. He turned to Cody who was staring at him blankly. He made no attempt to stop Zack. Zack put his hand over his chest and his hand was enveloped by the ethereal blue aura. Zack felt the warm sensation overtake him. He felt unstoppable. His muscles felt loose, and powerful. His heart was pumping fast as the strength boost made its way through his body

Zack dove off the bridge. He hoped the water was deep enough at this part of the river. He hadn't considered it until his hands were in a v ready to break the surface. He sliced through the water with ease as he dove into the river. The water was extremely cold and stabbed at his body like knives. He kicked his legs with all the power he could muster as he swam toward the drowning girl. He could barely make her figure out through the current stinging at his eyes. Zack made it to the girl and wrapped his arm around her. With his free arm, he swam toward where he hoped the shore was. He didn't care which shore. He felt the effects of the spell starting to wear off. He just needed to make it to the shore. He felt the burning in his shoulders and he struggled to reach the safety. He felt the girl clinging tightly to him. He gave a final push and emerged from the water. The water was shallow enough for him to stand. He stumbled with the girl and fell over, exhausted. The two were gasping for breath. The boy had joined his friend, relieved that she was out of the treacherous current.

Zack was on his hands and knees coughing water out of his system. He looked over at the girl and she was sitting up, coughing as well. Zack let out a laugh of relief. She was safe.

"Thank you so much, Mister!" the little boy thanked Zack. Zack smiled at him.

"Mister? I can't be that much older than you," Zack laughed. "You can call me Zack."

"I'm glad you showed up, Zack. Ashe fell into the river, and I was too scared to jump in. I'm a horrible friend." The boy had his head in his hands, disappointed with himself.

"Woah, woah," Zack held his hands up. "I had to use a spell on myself just to be able to swim in that river. You'd have been in danger too!" The boy nodded at Zack's logic.

"I guess," he said quietly.

"What's your name," Zack asked.

"Niko," the boy said.

"Alright, Niko. You need to take your friend into the city. Have someone take a look at her, and get her some dry clothes." The boy nodded at Zack's orders.

"What about you?"

"I'll be fine. I've got someone on the bridge waiting for me." Zack smiled at Niko. This reassured the boy as he helped his friend to her feet. Zack watched the two help each other walk away from the river. He took a deep breath and laid down. He hadn't taken time to look at the sky in this place. It was a brilliant blue. The same color as his eyes. He smiled. He felt good about what he'd done. He knew it was reckless, and he probably could have died doing it, but saving the girl made him feel warm inside. He closed his eyes, content with the job he'd done.

When he reopened his eyes, Cody was standing over him, holding his cloak.

"Hey," Zack said. Cody said nothing and dropped the cloak on his brother's chest. Without a word, he started to walk away. Zack stared at him incredulously.

"Hey! Not so fast, Cody!" Zack yelled as he quickly stood up. He had his cloak under his arm. "I don't know what's going on, but this has to stop."

"What has to stop?" Cody still spoke with a flat tone. Zack walked up to his brother and started looking at him. Zack circled his brother, who didn't move. "What are you doing?" Cody asked.

"Where's the injury?" Zack asked bluntly. "You wouldn't be acting this way if you weren't hurt, or something was wrong. So fess up!" Zack demanded.

"I'm not injured…"

"Yes you are!"

"I am not"

"You wouldn't act this way, if you weren't"

"How do you know?"

"What?"

"I said how do you know?" Cody was fuming now. "How would you know anything about me? You've always been about you! I'm your twin, and you don't know the first thing about me!" Cody started poking Zack in the chest. "I've always looked out for you! I've always stuck up for you! We got here, and I had to make sure that I could get us home! All you've done is fight me the whole time! You argue with me, and I let it go, because you were hurt and I can't let anything happen to you!" Cody paused for a second as Zack's mouth hung open. "Then you go and do this! You could have died again! This is why I'm tired, Zack. I can't keep looking after you!" Zack grimaced at Cody's words

"Is that right?" he started. "Well, what about you, Cody? You keep saying you're tired of looking after me, but you keep doting over everything I do. Nothing I do is right, and you always have to yell at me. You keep telling me we need to work together, but you're the first one to throw a fit! I want to get us home too!

"Could have fooled me," Cody yelled. "What if you'd landed on your head when you dove into the river! There was no telling how shallow it was!"

"I know that! I wanted to save her!"

"Why?"

"What do you mean why?" Zack couldn't believe what he was hearing. Cody had never lost his composure like this before. Even with all the spats they'd had since waking up in the hotel, they'd never come to blows like this before.

"It's not our job to save anybody. We need to save ourselves first."

"So, let her drown?" Zack's fists were shaking, and his teeth were chattering. He looked into this brother's eyes. Cody wore a flat expression. Zack knew where he stood on the topic. "Unbelievable," he whispered. "You would have let a little girl drown?"

"She's not my concern," he said coldly. "I care about you and I care about me. Everyone else comes second." Zack unclenched his fists.

"You can put me third," Zack said. "If you can save someone, I want you to save them before me."

"No."

"Then you can be by yourself." Zack whispered

"Don't be ridiculous."

Zack ignored Cody. He started to make his way up the riverbank toward the town.

"We're not done here!" Cody screeched after him.

"Talk to me when you figure out your priorities, Cody. Until then, I don't want anything to do with you!" Zack let loose his harshest salvo. It wasn't long before Cody had turned him around. He had his fist reared back ready to throw a punch right at his face. Cody was seething through gritted teeth. His arm was shaking as he held his fist back. Zack just gave him a sad look. "If you're going to do it," he warned. "You better not miss because I won't."

"This isn't our home, Zack. We're not here to save it!" Cody shouted, fist still at the ready. Zack didn't lift his arms.

"I know that. That doesn't mean I'll ignore someone that needs to be saved." Cody lowered his arm, and Zack turned to walk away. Cody didn't follow. Zack wasn't turned back around. He found his way to a nearby restaurant. He sat at one of the single tables in the back corner of the dining hall. The setup of this restaurant was very similar to Kara's inn back in Summerville. He picked the table because he could still see the door. He didn't want Cody to follow. Hopefully a night by himself, would allow Cody to fix his attitude, and the two would come together in the morning as they always had. Zack wasn't sure if he'd have hit Cody back, if he'd thrown a punch. He couldn't believe that their argument had gone that far. Then again, with everything that had happened, and all their spats leading up to that confrontation, it wasn't that unlikely.

"Get up quick, eh?" a woman's voice whispered in his ear. Zack turned to his immediate left, and the bandit girl from earlier was smugly reclining in the seat next to him. She noticed Zack's less than friendly face. "Easy, buddy. Not here for trouble"

"Oh yeah? Robbing me once wasn't good enough."

"Hey, I didn't know you'd come in and play hero right after that. I'm impressed," she said putting her boots on the table.

"You saw that?"

"Nah," she chuckled. "Girl you saved is my little sis. Ashe and Niko are always getting into trouble. Usually I'm the one that's gotta fish 'em outta whatever hole they fall in to. Nice to have an assistant for it." The bandit girl laughed heartily. She had an infectious laugh, and it caused her blonde hair curls to bounce. Zack looked away from her.

"Happy to help," he mumbled.

"Where's the other one?" she asked. "Other guy that looks like you?"

"What do you care?" Zack asked

"Well, I wanna reward you for saving Ashe. Figured the two of you would be together," she shrugged.

"We're not." Zack said flatly.

"Ah well, no biggie," the girl said as she threw the gold pieces and the kitchen knife on the table. "I'd give you the food we took too, but we hadn't eaten and we were hungry."

"My reward for saving your sister is the stuff you took from me?"

"I could always take it back," she threatened. "How about this," she reached into her jacket pocket and tossed another piece on the table. "I'll throw that in too, and you can buy us a round."

"I'm thirteen, I can't drink this stuff," Zack said.

"Not with that attitude," she smiled. "I'm Maxine by the way. Since you asked."

"I didn't…" Zack looked at her and she had a devilish grin on her face. Zack allowed himself to chuckle. "Zack," he gave up his name. He looked around the room at all the people partying and having a good time. "Where's the rest of your group?" he asked.

"Eh, around, I guess?" Maxine shrugged. "I gave them the night off. What they do with that is on them."

"You're the last person I thought I'd be hanging out with," Zack said.

"I figured we'd cross paths again. You two were too interesting to be a quick robbery," she laughed again. "Sorry. Probably still stings."

Zack let out a more hearty chuckle this time. He felt at ease in her presence. Even though he was fighting with Cody, even though he was still far away from home, and even though this girl had just robbed him hours earlier. He felt good. Maybe things would work out.

"Better go up and get those drinks, Zack," she said. "And while you're up there, see if you can nab some candy. I got a bit of a sweet tooth."


	8. Chapter 8: Gone

CHAPTER 8 - GONE

When Zack woke up, his head was pounding. He was sprawled out on the grass. It was early morning, just before dawn. The sun hadn't yet crept above the treetops in the distance. There was a breeze in the air that stung Zack's face. It didn't do much to help his pounding headache. He grunted as he pressed his palms against his eyes in an attempt to wake up quicker. He jammed his hands in the cloak's pockets to save them from the chill. The gold pieces Maxine had given him the night before were still in his pockets. He could feel the cold metal brush up against his fingers. Where was Maxine? If she had brought him outside, she'd passed up a golden opportunity to rob him for the second time.

He rose to his feet, and shook each leg individually. His knees felt like gelatin, and he wanted to get as much feeling back to his extremities as he could. He hadn't done any exploring of the town, so he wasn't sure where he was. He'd been in such a daze when he'd left Cody the night before. He scanned all the buildings in his immediate area. Each building was made of similar bricks, and packed close together. Zack figured that it was early, and he'd bump into Cody or Maxine eventually.

He started walking along the deserted streets. He assumed at this time of the morning, the residents of Denmall were fast asleep in their beds. A breeze blew a strange smell into Zack's nostrils. It caused him to stop walking. It filled him with worry. This wasn't a positive smell. He smelled something burning. His eyes darted along the different intersecting streets. He couldn't find the source of the smell, but it was strong, and foul. It couldn't be too far away. He tried to follow his nose, and felt the horrible stench growing in intensity. As he moved toward the source of the smell, something landed in front of him. It stopped him dead in his tracks.

He was shocked to see a javelin had embedded in the ground right in front of him. Zack backed off a few steps. Thirty paces from where he stood was someone else. Zack couldn't make out many of their features. The sun still hadn't risen high enough.

"Did you throw that?" Zack asked.

"What gave that away?" the person responded. The voice was muffled. Zack couldn't make out any distinguishing characteristics to place it. They walked forward and Zack held up his fists in a defensive stance.

"I'm not looking to fight," he said. "I'm just looking for my friends."

"What a coincidence," the person chuckled. "I may be able to help with that!"

"What does that mean?" Zack asked cautiously.

"I'm patrolling this town for stragglers to capture."

"Capture? Why?"

"Who cares? I'm not in charge?" the person shrugged. They had finally stepped into enough light for Zack to make out some of their features. They were wearing a dark orange garment that covered them from head to toe, and concealed their face. The suit had various red shapes along the arms and legs. A golden letter T was emblazoned in cursive on their stomach. Stitched on their head were pointed ears that bent in a jagged pattern. Covering their face was a white mask with two Xs drawn in red as a crude facsimile for eyes. The person was certainly strange.

"Who are you?" Zack asked slowly. The strange attire of the person made it difficult for him to formulate a sentence. The jester wrapped their hands around the javelin in the ground and easily removed it. They gave it a twirl and gave a slight bow.

"I am called Trick! One of the demon lord's favorite jesters. He loves me for my frequent participation in raids!" Trick pointed their javelin at Zack. "I recommend you hand over your gold, or end up in the carts with the others!"

"I'm not getting robbed again," Zack said defiantly. He placed his hand over his heart and felt the warming sensation overtake him. He felt like he could fight in the most frigid of temperatures.

"A magic user," Trick seemed concerned now. Their goofy demeanor had worn off. Trick's voice had an airy tone that was now gone. "You don't belong here," they threatened. Trick lunged for Zack and thrust the javelin forward. Zack kept his eye on the point of the javelin and managed to jump backwards from the hit. He knew that his cloak gave him extra protection, but a misjudgement would mean taking the business end of Trick's javelin. Zack was struggling to think of a plan to defeat Trick. The jester was quick, nimble, and athletic. They were easily contorting their body which made their swings harder to read and dodge. A strong swing to Zack's side managed to clip his arm. Zack yelped as the javelin found its mark. Sensing an opening Trick swung horizontally, expecting to slice Zack open at the waist.

As the javelin sped toward him, Zack only had a moment to make a decision. He realized that there was only one part of the javelin that would cause him significant damage. His spell was still providing him with a power boost. If he could get within range, he'd take a hit from the far less painful staff of the weapon. It was worth a shot. He leapt towards Trick, who had put full power behind their swing. The jester hadn't been expecting this move as Zack caught the javelin mid swing. He easily ripped it from Trick's hand. The jester, upon being disarmed backed off.

"You don't know how to use that," Trick taunted.

"I know you don't want to get touched by this part," Zack said pointing to the tip of the javelin. "I think I'll figure the rest out." Zack held the Javelin out. Trick was slithering side to side watching the point of the javelin as Zack moved it along with them. "We don't need to fight. I just want to find who I'm looking for. Take me to them." Trick grabbed at their stomach and fell onto their back. They kicked their legs as they giggled loudly.

"You mustn't be too smart," they chided through their laughter. Trick leapt to their feet. "I told you I was part of a raiding party. Your friends have already been captured. If I take you to them, you'll be captured too!" They pointed to their temple. "Makes sense, eh?" Zack contemplated what Trick was saying. He wasn't sure how much he could trust. He didn't have time to ponder because Trick darted right toward him. Zack had to react quickly. Trick was a blur as they closed the distance. With deft reflexes, Zack managed to turn the javelin around. He gave it a sharp, short thrust. Trick's momentum mixed with the speed of Zack's thrust, aided by the remaining power in his spell created a powerful blow. All of the air in Trick's lungs was expelled as the end of the javelin made contact with their stomach. Zack could hear their muffled gags from behind the mask. The jester was stopped dead in their tracks. They were doubled over clutching at their stomach still gasping for air.

For a moment Zack felt bad seeing them struggle to breathe, but he'd learned that this world was dangerous, and if Cody had been captured, he couldn't let Trick stand in his way. He tightened his grip on the javelin and swung it again. The end of the javelin hit Trick in the chin. The jester was small in comparison to Zack. They were thinner, and shorter. The force of the blow took them off their feet, and launched them high into the air. They landed with a sickening thud on the unforgiving ground. Trick didn't move. Zack went to their side and placed his ear near the jester's mouth. He could hear slight breathing. Trick was alive but knocked out.

"Sorry about this," he said quietly. "I'm borrowing this javelin." Zack left the jester and made his way toward the stench, which was still overpowering. It caused Zack's eyes to water the closer he got. He wheezed as he made his way toward the Shoal River.

A commotion reached his ears that slowed his pace. He blocked his nose. The intense burning smell mixed with other odors he couldn't place. He placed his back against one of the buildings and slowly peered around the corner. His eyes widened at what he saw.

Three huge carriages with cages were filled with people. Dozens of them were stuffed into each cage. Arms and legs were flailing outside the bars, in a vain attempt to escape. Occasionally one of their captors would poke at them with a spear to add to their torment. Among the spear welding raiders were humans, goblins, and reptilian creatures.

Zack hid behind the building. He needed a plan. This wouldn't be a safe spot for long. If more people like Trick were looking for stragglers, it wouldn't be long before he was found. He peered back around the corner. A man on horseback was at the head of the caravan. Green plate armor covered his torso. He wore silver greaves and shin guards. They were chipped and charred from numerous battles. Sitting on his shoulder, was a dark blue bird. It's beak looked as sharp as the sword the man had at his hip.

Zack saw some hedges nearby. He needed to get out of the open. He looked at the raiders. They were focused on their captives. Zack had a brief window to make a dash for the hedges. They were a good fifty yards from his position. His fight with Trick had tired him. He placed his hand over his heart, but didn't feel the power increase. Had he used it too much? He'd have to use whatever energy he had left to make it. He took several deep breaths and took a final look at the raiders. It was now or never. He took off. He pumped his arms as the hedges got closer. He didn't look to the raiders. He felt that singular focus would help him run faster. He felt the burning in his chest as his heart raced. When he made it to the hedges, he quickly slid between the branches. They poked at his face and any exposed skin. It wasn't comfortable but at least he was out of sight. Zack tried to control his breathing so he'd be quieter. He adjusted his head so he had a clear view to the cages. His eyes scanned for his brother. He finally came across a mop of blonde hair that could only belong to Cody.

Cody sat in the cage. A cacophony of screaming and crying filled his ears, but he ignored it. He simply sat and watched everything around him. He'd offered no resistance when the raiders came. It had been another sleepless night for him. This time under the bridge crossing the Shoal River. His fight with Zack occupied his mind all night. When he finally closed his eyes he was being jostled awake by two lizard creatures. Spears were inches from his nose. He knew he wouldn't be able to fight, so he decided to follow them. He was shoved into the cage and he quietly sat, expecting Zack to be shoved in any of the other cages. As the morning progressed, he never saw his twin.

The man on horseback was casually circling the caravan, his pet bird occasionally nipping at his ear. When it did, the man would reach into a pouch at his hip. He'd pull out a strip of meat and feed it to the bird. Cody heard the other raiders refer to him as Enza.

"Citizens of Denmall!" Enza shouted. His voice cut through all the noise. Even the crying children were silenced by his powerful voice. Enza was right outside Cody's cage. He could see the malice in his cold, dark eyes. "I understand your confusion, anger, and fear. You are right to feel this way because there was nothing you did to cause this. It is just your new reality. It isn't going to be pleasant, but if you want to stay alive, you'll have to adapt." Enza's lip curled upward. "You will be taken to Bosstown as Lord Mozara decides what to do with this town." Enza raised his sword into the air. "Our journey will take two days. You will do as you're told or you'll be left to the Lizardmen. They aren't as friendly as I am."

Cody watched one of the lizard creatures snap it's jaws at the cage. Drool was hanging off its mouth. Enza had made his way to the front of the caravan. The bird took off from his shoulder to scout ahead. The cart lurched forward and the journey began. Cody looked forlornly at the buildings as the caravan was paraded through the town. He thought he saw a flash of blonde in the corner of his eye. He couldn't move in the cage as it was too packed with people, but it was unmistakable. He saw Zack. Cody leaned forward for a better look. Zack was watching the caravan with a javelin in his hands. For a second, Cody felt their eyes lock. He felt a twinge of hope. Zack was going to figure out how to save them.

"Come on, Zack." Cody whispered. Then Zack did something strange. Cody could see the wide eyed fear on his brother's face. He started to back away. "No, no, no!" Cody's heart sank. His brother ran away. Cody felt the strength in his muscles deplete. It was a feeling of defeat. He closed his eyes, hoping that when he opened them, Zack would be there. He opened his eyes, but Zack was gone. All hope was gone.


	9. Chapter 9: Walk

CHAPTER 9 - WALK

Zack hated what he had done. After realizing the sheer numbers he was up against, he scampered into a nearby building. He was on the second floor watching the caravan slowly vanish into the distance. He'd been too afraid to do anything. He saw the disappointment on Cody's face. What did he want Zack to do? Take on the entire raiding party by himself armed with only a javelin? Zack looked at the weapon he had taken from Trick. He angrily threw it at the wall, the blade embedding in the dry wood. He rested his head against the window. The caravan had picked up it's pace, and was even smaller as it continued toward the horizon.

"I'm sorry, Cody." Zack pulled the javelin out of the wall. "It'd be stupid of me to come and rescue you by myself. In a world like this, it's dangerous to be so reckless." Zack smiled to himself. "I guess I've always been like that, though." He remembered what he had said to Cody the night before. He'd told his brother that even at his own personal peril, if he had the opportunity to save someone, he was going to take it. He couldn't go back on what he'd said. Cody would call him a liar. With renewed purpose, Zack ran after the caravan.

As he made his way through the streets of Denmall, Zack kept his head on a swivel. He didn't know if Trick or others like them were on the lookout. As he followed the tread marks made by the heavy carriages, Zack thought about the numerous disadvantages he had. He didn't know where he was going. He didn't know if the raiders were regrouping with a bigger party. His brain screamed at him to turn back, but he knew that wouldn't be a good idea. He had no one to regroup with, and he wanted to save Cody. He'd never forgive himself if his argument with Cody was their last interaction.

Zack walked for an entire day. With every step he felt his knees weakening, he would use his spell on himself. If his feet hurt, he'd use his spell. He kept his distance from the caravan, but didn't want to let them get to far away. His stamina was depleting rapidly as the day dragged on. Each time he used his spell, he felt more exhausted.

The sun was going down, and Zack was getting frustrated. Did the caravan not stop to make camp. He couldn't be that far behind. The tracks still seemed fresh. Sweat was pouring down his face, but he didn't want to part with his cloak. It was the only protection he had. Zack felt a burning in his chest. His knees were wobbling.

He placed his hand over his heart. He noticed it had a distinct tremble. He took a deep breath and focused. The aura enveloped his hand, but he felt nothing. His energy had diminished too much.

"No, no, no!" he cried out. Zack tried again, but to no avail. He fell to one knee. His body felt heavy, and his breathing more drawn out. Through gritted teeth, he struggled to both feet. He couldn't move. It was consuming what little energy be had to remain upright. He couldn't stop. He needed to find his brother. They needed each other.

Zack took a step in what felt like slow motion. When his shoe was flat on the earth beneath him, he laughed. "Piece of cake." Another step was impossible. Zack fell forward. He couldn't even move his arms to cushion the fall. He was face down, in the middle of a dirt road. He could feel blood seeping out of his nose as he laid on the ground. He closed his eyes, exhausted, and he passed out.

Zack went in and out of consciousness. While asleep he was in a world of nightmares. When he'd awaken, he could feel his body being moved. With no energy to cry out or struggle, he went back to his nightmares. In them, he was surrounded by darkness. He called out, but made no noise. He ran in all directions, but there was only darkness. There was a feeling he wasn't alone in the dark. He felt a pressure in his back.

"You can't save everyone," a voice whispered in his ear. Zack turned toward it, but saw nobody. He started to cough. He looked at his hands that were now covered in a red substance that shone through the darkness. "I watched you leave," the whisper returned. Zack felt the pressure in his back again. It forced him to the ground where he laid, immobile. Something wet lapped up against his cheek. He was too weak to move away from it. The substance was cold. It shocked his system into waking up.

Zack found himself lying in grass. The grass was tall enough to block his vision from a seated position. Zack inspected his back and hands for injury to confirm they had only happened in his nightmare. He contemplated who the voice could have belonged to. He was certain it was Cody. He shook the thought out of his head. His mind was tricking him. He got to his feet, surprised that he had energy to do so. He felt completely refuelled. He peered over the tall grass and walked back to where he assumed the road was.

"Anybody there?" Zack yelled over the grass. He cupped his hands over his mouth, prepared to yell again. A quick blur leapt at him from the grass. It tackled him to the ground. Zack grunted as his head smacked the dirt beneath him. His vision blurred from the impact. As it cleared a figure came into focus. An angry looking girl was pinning him to the ground. Her nails were sharp and digging into his shoulder.

"Are you stupid?" she asked. Zack stared blankly at her. "Did you think I hid you in tall grass for the fun of it?"

"Hid?" Zack stammered out the only word that made sense to his now slightly concussed brain.

"Yeah. You were half dead in the middle of the road. Figured you got away from Enza, or were left for dead by him, anyway." She stared at him. She looked proud of herself. "so I dragged you over here to hide you."

"Thanks," Zack said. "Could you get off me?" The girl looked down and became suddenly aware that she was still on top of him. She quickly lept off and blushed.

"S-sorry, just needed to make sure you stayed below the grass."

Zack returned to a seated position and brushed the dirt off his sleeves. The girl watched him intently. She had straight black hair that went down to her shoulder blades, and had thin brown eyes.

"I appreciate the help," Zack said. "But what am I hiding from?" The girl chuckled quietly

"You ARE dumb," she giggled. "Obviously, you're hiding from Enza's raiding party. The Demon Lord Mozaro sends him out to different villages and towns to capture people."

"What for?" Zack asked. The girl didn't laugh at this. She seemed saddened by the question. "Sorry," Zack said instinctively.

"It's alright," she said. "Nobody really knows what he uses them for. Some say he steals their souls for his power. Others say that he turns them into goblins and lizardmen." She paused, imagining the horror of her hypothetical scenarios. "All I know is, that everyone that's ever gone to Bosstown, hasn't returned."

"I have to go there," Zack insisted. "My brother was taken by Enza, and if he was taken to Bosstown, that's where I need to be!" Zack looked around him. "Where's my javelin?" He looked at the girl and her brows were furrowed.

"If your brother was taken by Mozaro, he is likely dead," she said solemnly

"If I didn't make an attempt to save him, then I'd be breaking a promise to him," Zack said with more conviction. "My javelin?"

"You're telling me that your brother would want you to throw your life away on a suicide mission to rescue him?"

"No, of course not! He'd think this was incredibly dumb, but I'm going to do it!"

"You're incredibly dumb," the girl said with a hint of disdain. Zack didn't mind.

"Maybe...probably, but I can't be dumb without my javelin." The girl thought about this for a moment.

"Follow me," she said as she snuck through the tall grass. Zack kept low and followed. The girl was agile, even while crawling through the grass. Zack struggled to keep up.

"Weird question," Zack called up to her. "What's your name? You saved me, but I don't even know who you are?" She didn't stop her crawl.

"Questions can wait," she hissed. "Wait till we get to safety!"

Zack kept his mouth shut and just stayed behind her. He couldn't see any weapons or equipment on her person. She looked completely unassuming. She wore a green collared shirt and black pants. Attached at her hip was a satchel that looked so flat, it likely didn't have anything in it. He didn't know where the girl was taking him, or if it was smart to trust her, but since he didn't have a clue where he was, he elected to follow. As they ran, Zack noticed that the grass was getting taller. It was well over six feet at this point. The girl wasn't that tall, yet she still kept low. Zack figured the best course of action, was to match her movements. It didn't take long for the duo to reach the edge of the tall grass. Once clear of the vegetation, the girl stood to her full height. Zack did as well and felt a kink in his back as he did so.

"What's wrong with you?" she asked. "Aren't you young? Do you have an old man back?" Zack leaned backward as far as he could with his hands on his hips. He felt a crack in his lower back, and it came with an audible popping noise. The girl shook her head. "Old man back," she said in an exasperated huff.

"I'll be fine," Zack insisted. "Now that we're free of the grass, you said you'd tell me your name."

"Name's Lena. I used to live in Bosstown. Up until Demon Lord Mozaro and his flunkies took over." She pointed to the tiny town behind her. "The fine people of Everred were kind enough to take me in, during my moment of need." Zack looked at the town behind her. It was even smaller than Summerville. He noticed it was completely surrounded by the tall grass. The grass hid the dozen or so buildings on all sides. Lena lead Zack into the "town." It seemed as though everyone in town had expected him. They all came up to inspect the new arrival. Zack noticed the patched, dirty clothing they wore. To match, they had messy hair, and dirt under their fingernails. They were inspecting Zack's cloak and marveling at his platinum blonde hair.

"Umm...hello?" Zack said at the younger townsfolk that had gotten a little closer to him. He knelt down and three of the children started grabbing at his hair.

"We don't get outsiders very often," Lena informed him.

"Am I that strange?" Zack asked with a laugh.

"Not really," a voice said. Zack looked up and through the children that were crawling on top of him, he saw a hint of cranberry red.

"Maxine?"

"Didn't think I'd see you again!" she exclaimed.

"I can't really see you, I'm afraid," Zack said laughing. He was doing his best to support the children, so they wouldn't fall and hurt themselves.

"Alright, kids!" Maxine called. "Playtime's over. Zack's not a tree!" The kids let out audible groans as their fun had come to an abrupt end. They ran behind Maxine, as Zack stood back up. She was carrying his javelin.

"I was looking for that," Zack said, motioning to the weapon.

"Yeah, I know. Lena brought it back here." Maxine informed him.

"Wait," Zack said in surprise. "You left me in a random spot in the grass instead of back here?" She didn't seem fazed by the question, but Maxine had to stifle a giggle.

"I didn't know you," she said with a shrug. "I'd have left you there had Maxine not told me who you were."

"We really need to stop meeting up after I've been robbed by you," Zack said to Maxine, holding his hand out. She gave it to him.

"How did you get out?" both Maxine and Zack asked at the same time.

"I'll go first," she started.

"Can you start at how I ended up outside? I remember us hanging out in the restaurant. Next thing I knew I woke up outside, not even near the restaurant," Zack recalled. Maxine frowned. "How much did I have?" Zack asked, horrified. Maxine and Lena exchanged nervous looks, but both started laughing. "What? Was it that bad," the pitch in Zack's voice got higher.

"You didn't have any," Maxine said through her laughter. "You said it yourself, you're too young for it." Zack felt himself turning red. "I'm just teasing," Maxine said, still laughing. "You started complaining of a headache, and went outside. You never came back in."

"You must have run out of energy," Lena said.

"I've had that happen before, though," Zack said pondering the energy loss theory. "I remember what happened before hand."

"You were in a bit of a fog that night," Maxine shrugged. "You got in a fight with your brother, and you were pretty preoccupied by that."

Maxine had a good point. His argument with Cody had taken up most of his headspace that night. He'd never had that big of an argument with him before. That's why he needed to rescue Cody. He wanted to apologize for his behavior, and he wanted to hear Cody do the same. They were each responsible for how poorly things had gone between the two of them.

"I take it he was captured," Maxine said softly. Zack nodded. She shook her head in disappointment, then tossed him the javelin.

"You're not going to stop me?" Zack raised his eyebrows as he caught the weapon.

"I wasn't going to stop you," Lena interrupted. "I just wanted you to know that it was dumb to go alone."

"It IS pretty dumb," Maxine agreed.

"I know," Zack admitted. "You guys are welcome to come with me, but I'm going whether you accompany me or not. I'm not going to wait for that demon to kill my brother. If I have to die trying to save him...so be it." Zack forced his voice to be as clear and forceful as he could. He wanted Lena and Maxine to believe what he said, but he needed to believe himself.

"We both have reasons to want to head to Bosstown to face Demon Lord Mozaro," Lena said.

"Most of my gang was captured by them," Maxine said clenching her fists

"Plus the damage he's done to this land is immeasurable. He syphons the power from the magic users he's captured to supplement his own powers." Lena pointed to the javelin. "You think you can take him out with just a spear?"

"I'm a magic user," Zack said as his hand was enveloped in the blue light. Lena's eyes widened. Maxine smiled. "It makes me stronger and faster. It may not be much, but any boost I can get, I'll take." Maxine walked up to Zack and put her arm around his shoulder.

"Well, you're not going anywhere tonight. You're going to eat with us, and rest in Everred. At the very least, we can make sure you're ready to leave in the morning. Also, it's important that you leave with a plan."

"Are you sure?" Zack asked, blushing as Maxine squeezed his shoulder.

"Lena?"

"Of course!" she said excitedly.

The two lead Zack to the center of town. All twenty Everred citizens were there. They were happy to have Zack and they fed him well. They had boiled boar meat, potatoes, and carrots in five large parts set over five blazing fires. Maxine said that the citizens had crops planted in the town, and had an underground irrigation system that brought water from the Shoal River to their plants. The Everredians asked about where Zack where he was from, and he told them his story. He talked about how he had a twin brother and they lived with their mom in a hotel. He talked about the adventures he and his brother had with all their friends back home. He paused in the middle of his story, remembering how much he missed all of them. He told them that missing his friends is why he was going to work as hard as he could to get Cody back. It was the only connection to his old life that he had, and he didn't want it to go away.

Zack was given a comfortable bed to sleep in that night. As difficult as the task ahead of him was, he still was able to fall right asleep. He felt confident that Maxine and Lena believed in him, and even if Cody was disappointed by him running away, he'd believe again once he saw Zack trying to save him. As comfortable as his bed was, Zack didn't get to enjoy it for long. A burning smell woke him from his slumber. He shot awake in the bed. A fiery smell reached his nostrils, but not from cooking. He looked out the window of the room he was given. One of the straw roofs of a neighboring building was on fire. Everred was under attack.


	10. Chapter 10: Capture

CHAPTER 10 - CAPTURE

Zack rolled out of the bed to the floor. He stumbled as he hastily pulled his cloak over his head. He still hadn't gotten his legs under him. What was happening? Had he been followed to Everred? Had the demon lord discovered the village in the grass? Zack was hoping this was just a freak accident.

He grabbed the javelin leaning against the wall. He rushed out into the cool night air filled with the smoke of the burning building nearby. He blocked his nostrils as his eyes darted around. The other villagers had noticed the fire and were emerging from their homes to investigate.

"Zack? What happened?" Lena had appeared next to him. She was looking at the burning building in horror. "Did they make it out?"

"I don't know. Get everyone else together. Keep them safe!" Lena nodded as she herded the gathering crowd away from the flames. Zack placed his hand on the front door. It was warm. He took a deep breath and delivered a straight kick to the door. It splintered as it burst open.

Fire had spread through the small home quickly. Zack covered his mouth as he looked for for any people that might be trapped. In the back corner of the home was a little boy. He was sitting next to a body on the ground. Fire was blocking his path to escape. Zack made his way toward the boy.

"Hey, kid! Remember me?" Zack put on the most reassuring voice he could muster. The boy looked from the body to Zack. He was crying, but managed a nod. "Good. I'm gonna get you out of here."

"My mommy is hurt," the boy choked out. Zack knew he had to move quickly. He removed his cloak and threw it on the fire between him and the boy. The flames were snuffed out by the thick cloak. Zack ran to the boy's side. The boy threw his arms around Zack's neck. He gave the boy's back a reassuring pat.

"Please help my mom," he cried into Zack's ear.

"I will." Zack held the boy at arms length. His face was darkened from the ash in the air. "I need you to be brave for me, and get out of here." The boy seemed skeptical. His eyes went to his mother. "I'll be right behind you." Zack assured him. The boy nodded and ran out of the house.

Zack turned his attention to the woman on the ground. Her chest was rising and falling. At least she was still alive. Zack had to move quickly. The crackling in the fire was getting louder. He didn't know how much longer the little home would stay standing. He knelt next to the woman's motionless body and placed her arm around his shoulder. He placed his free hand over his heart. The spell filled him with strength, and he easily lifted the woman into a fireman's carry. As quickly as he could, he ran out of the building. When he was a safe distance from the inferno he put the woman down. He looked back to to the house as it caved in on itself. Zack realized he had left the cloak and javelin inside.

"Acts of kindness sure are rare these days," a voice from behind Zack taunted. Zack turned to see the jester, Trick. The light from the fire created harsh shadows on their mask. Standing horrified, in front of the jester was the little boy. Trick had their hands on the boys shoulders, rooting him to the spot.

"I'm guessing that was your doing," Zack growled at the jester. Trick looked from the smoldering remains, and back to Zack.

"Maybe," they said with a laugh. "I knew our paths would cross again. You have something of mine."

"You're welcome to dig for it." Zack could hear the little boy whimpering. He didn't want the deranged jester to harm the boy. "Let the kid go. You can have me."

"Tempting," Trick mockingly scratched their chin. Then, with dazzling speed, Trick was in Zack's face. He had no time to react. Trick's fist made contact with Zack's jaw. Zack fell to the ground. He landed hard and felt his arms scraping as he skidded along the dirt. He didn't have his cloak, so he was more vulnerable to the dangerous jester.

Zack slowly got to his feet. He placed his hand over his heart, but never got the chance to use his spell. Trick's knee was already digging into Zack's stomach. Zack struggled to regain the air he'd lost. Trick didn't give him the opportunity. After the vicious knee, the jester leapt into the air to deliver a heel kick to the side of Zack's head. Everything went blurry as Zack fell to the ground

"I thought you were special," Trick chided. "you have to be, to beat me. Turns out, you just got lucky." Trick giggled. "You made them mad at me! You'll pay for it with your life!" Trick bent over to lift Zack off the ground, when something hit them. They turned to see the little boy had thrown a rock at them and had another prepped. Trick menacingly cocked their head to the side.

"Leave him alone," the boy said attempting to keep his voice steady. He threw the rock. The jester caught it with one hand.

"Eye for an eye?" the jester growled. "He saves you, and you return the favor?" The boy gulped. "It's a shame you both only succeeded in delaying the inevitable."

"You losing?" the boy asked excitedly.

Trick turned back to see that Zack had risen to his feet. Before the jester could move, Zack unloaded the strongest punch of his life. It made contact with the center of the jester's mask, cracking it. Trick was launched backward, twirling in mid air. He rolled to a stop in the dirt, out cold. The boy ran to Zack.

"How'd you do that?" he asked looking at his savior in awe. Zack fell to one knee, he was breathing heavy, but managed a smile.

"While I was lying there..." He panted. "While you were distracting him, I was casting a spell on myself."

"You saved me again," the boy beamed at Zack.

"No," Zack said, shaking his head. "This time, you saved me. Thank you." He smiled at the boy, but noticed his eyes were wide. The boy's mouth dropped open in horror. "What's wrong?" Zack asked. He looked at his shoulder and noticed an arrow sticking out of it. Someone shot him! Who? From where? Why hadn't he felt it's impact?

He looked to the downed Trick, and there was someone standing over them. They looked just like Trick. The ears attached to their head were straight. Their outfit was a deep red with orange shapes along their arms and legs. A golden L was emblazoned on their stomach.

"You've failed twice, Trick," the new jester said to their fallen comrade. Zack noticed the bow draped over their shoulder. He looked to the arrow embedded in his own. He still had some juice left from the spells he'd cast on himself. He ripped the arrow out. This got the jester's attention. "That wasn't a very intelligent decision," they said coldly. "That will just cause you to bleed out faster."

"What are you doing here?" Zack asked "Why are you attacking this innocent village?"

"Trick and I had been tracking you since you left Denmall. We were going to kill you where you slept, but your new friend brought you here." The jester took a few steps toward Zack. "More for Lord Mozaro's experiments." Zack felt anger rising inside of him. It boiled over and he burst toward the other jester. Zack threw wild punches, hoping for a similar outcome to the one he got with Trick. The new jester managed to block, or dodge everything Zack threw at them. On one attempt they grabbed Zack's arm and tossed him to the ground. Zack struggled to get back to his feet.

"Who are you?" he grunted. The jester gave a performative bow.

"I am called Lore. I am one of Demon Lord Mozaro's favorite jesters." Lore looked up from their bow and saw that Zack was back to a vertical base, his fists raised. Lore laughed a hearty laugh. They raised their palm and motioned for Zack to come forward. Zack obliged and rushed toward the jester, fist raised. Zack put everything behind the swing of his right arm. Had he connected, he'd have broken bones. The jester managed to duck at the last second. They thrust their palm forward and caught Zack in the chest. He felt as though he'd been hit with a baseball bat. He tried to breathe, but air neither came nor went. Zack toppled to the ground clutching at his chest.

Zack's eyes blurred. He watched as Lore came closer. Even with their face covered, Zack could still make out the malicious intent in the jester's stride. Lore suddenly stopped in their tracks. They tried to back off quick, but were hit with a torrent of water. It struck the jester in the chest and sent them high into the air. Zack coughed up blood and passed out.

When he woke up, Zack was in a cold sweat. Maxine was standing over him. She smiled when he woke up. She placed her cold hands on his cheeks. It shocked his system. She gave him a few playful slaps.

"Hey!" he exclaimed as he pushed her hands away. "I'm up!"

"I'm glad you're up," she said in genuine relief. "You coughed up blood twice."

"Where am I? Where are the jesters? What knocked them out? Is everyone safe?" Zack started rattling off questions as fast as he could. Maxine held up her hands to stop him from continuing.

"Jeez, Zack!" She rolled her eyes. "One at a time."

"Sorry," Zack said sheepishly.

"Everyone's fine," she said crossing her arms. She had a smug smile on her face. "Our jester friend was introduced to Lena's water magic. Guess they weren't expecting another magic user here!"

"Lena's a magic user?" Zack said in surprise.

"Yeah, and that attack took a lot out of her, so she's resting. That leaves you and me to interrogate the two jesters."

"What?"

"You want to find out why they're here, and what Mozaro is planning? Now's our chance," she said clenching her fists. "I've got them tied up in separate buildings. I say we start with the one in orange. That one seemed like the dumber of the two."

"I don't know how to interrogate anyone!" Zack threw his hands up in frustration.

"Just follow my lead," Maxine said confidently.

The two went to the building where Trick was being kept. The jester was tied to a chair in the middle of the room. Their mask had cracked, and half of it had fallen off. Outlines of their facial features were visible under the orange cover.

"This is a grave mistake," they threatened.

"You're tied to a chair. Shut up!" Maxine ordered. She walked up to the jester and stared down. "I'm not talking to your creepy mask. Time to see your real face." Zack leaned forward as Maxine removed the facial covering from Trick's face. A mop of long black hair fell in front of their face. Trick gave a vigorous head shake to remove the hair from their eyes. "What's your name?" Maxine asked. The jester smiled.

"My name is Trick."

"What's your real name?"

"That doesn't matter," the jester taunted. Maxine reared back to punch the jester, who didn't flinch. Zack grabbed her arm and held it back.

"Wait! That's just what he wants!"

"He?" The jester raised an eyebrow.

"Sh-she?" Zack blushed, but the jester laughed again

"She?" they asked tauntingly

"It doesn't matter," Maxine said. "I want to know what you're doing here!"

"I wanted my javelin back," the jester shrugged. "I intend to get it back."

"Still tied to a chair," Maxine reminded them.

"Lore will find a way to get me out of here. Lore is always one step ahead of everyone."

"Lore is also tied to a chair," Maxine said getting more frustrated. The jester didn't blink at this information.

"Maxine, can I talk to you for a sec?" Zack asked.

The two left the room.

"That jester is getting under my skin," she said angrily.

"Have you been looking at their eyes?" Zack asked.

"I've been thinking about punching their face," Maxine growled.

"They don't blink much, and their eyes are glazed over. Like they're on another planet altogether."

"I said they were dumb," Maxine shrugged.

"This isn't intelligence," Zack insisted. "It's something else. Like they aren't even in control of their body."

"You think the jester is being controlled?"

"I wouldn't put that past a demon lord, would you?" Zack scratched his head. "Even if that's the case, how do we reverse it?"

"If that's even what's going on." Maxine raised a good point. Zack was going on a hunch based on Trick's glazed over look. "You also clocked them in the face. They could be concussed."

"How would we reverse it if it is brainwashing?"

"Convince the jester that their reality isn't real. Make them come back." Maxine suggested.

The two went back into the room. Trick was grinning from ear to ear. They cocked their head to the side, causing their thick black hair to fall back in front of their face. They started to giggle as Zack got close to them. He stared into the jester's green eyes. Their pupils were fully dilated.

"You're not really here are you?" he asked. The jester frowned. "That demon is forcing you to do all this, right?"

"What?" The jester softened their voice.

"You remind me a lot of me." Zack offered a weak smile. Trick blinked slowly. Confusion was crossing the jester's face. Was Zack making a breakthrough? "I've always been kind of reckless too. I'll be focused on one thing and just go for it. Even if that one thing is a javelin." Zack chuckled. "My brother was always saving me, and I took that for granted." The jester had leaned back. They were beginning to fidget uncomfortably. "Is Lore your sibling?"

"H-how?" Trick's cocky demeanor was gone, and suddenly they looked frightened. "How did you know?"

"I'd be willing to bet you guys are twins," Zack said confidently. Trick closed their eyes tight. Through gritted teeth they admitted that Lore was in fact their twin. The jester suddenly threw themselves backwards. They landed hard after going over the back of the chair. Zack and Maxine kept their distance.

"What happened? Where am I?" A meek voice came from the chair. "I can't move!" The voice was becoming more panic stricken. Maxine gingerly stepped toward the jester. "Who are you? Why am I tied up? Where's Lore? Where am I?"

"They remind me of you too," Maxine said to Zack. "One at a time," she gave the same order to the jester. She carefully lifted Trick's chair back to an upright position. The once smarmy jester was now replaced with a child, lost and afraid. Zack stepped close and stared at Trick's eyes. They were filled with fear, no longer glazed and lethargic.

"Where am I?" Trick's eyes were welling up with water. Zack sighed and started untying Trick's restraints.

"Zack! What are you doing?" Maxine yelled.

"Trust me," Zack said. "It it were me, I wouldn't attack" Zack paused his untying. "You're not going to attack are you?" Trick shook their head vigorously. Zack freed the jester and rejoined Maxine. They both recounted everything that had transpired to Trick. They looked ashamed at their involvement with the demon lord.

"How do I repay everyone? Even if I was brainwashed, I still feel responsible," Trick lamented.

"Lore is still brainwashed," Zack said. "They're in the other building. We need you to help us free them from the mind control."

"Lore…" Trick paused "Is crazy smart. If Lore's brain is convinced that the brainwashing is reality, then that's what's reality."

"Well we're not going to get anywhere staying here," Maxine said. "We don't know how much longer we'll have before Enza comes looking for key members of his raiding party." The others nodded and they went into the building next door. Sitting in the middle of the room was the other jester. They didn't seem too surprised to see Trick with them.

"Lore.."

"You've failed again, Trick." Lore shook their head in disappointment. Maxine went to take off Lore's facemask. Zack held her up.

"Hold on," he said. He knelt close to Lore's face. Their white mask only had the crudely drawn smile. "You remind me of my brother, Lore. Always looking out for your reckless sibling," as he said this he looked at Trick. "I bet you guys are twins." Zack tried the same tactic that worked on Trick. He reached out and pulled off the headpiece. Lore had shorter hair than Trick, so Zack could see their eyes. They were glazed over, but Lore hadn't flinched.

"Of course we're twins. Did our matching jester outfits give it away?" Lore asked sarcastically. Zack would need a new strategy.

"Lore, what's happened to you?" Trick asked, concerned.

"Nothing, Trick." Lore glared at their twin. "I'm more concerned about you. You allowed us both to be captured, and now you've been brainwashed!" Lore started clicking their teeth. "Lord Mozaro will be angry. You'll be punished again. You know I hate having to punish you, Trick!"

"I've had enough of this!" Maxine had snapped. She hit Lore in the cheek with a mean left hook. The jester fell backward over the chair. Trick didn't take kindly to their sibling being sucker punched. They got in Maxine's face.

"Why did you do that?" Trick was incensed. Zack managed to pull them away from Maxine. Lore was on the ground laughing maniacally. Zack tried to calm Trick.

"It's okay." he said, trying to soothe the seething Trick. "We need to calm down."

"How am I supposed to be calm?" Trick asked.

"If you're not calm then we'll never save Lore," Zack said forcefully. Trick thought about this for a moment, but nodded. "I was able to free you by treating you like me. Lore is just like Cody, so I need to think of what I would say to Cody?"

"Who's Cody?" Lore called from the floor. "You're wasting your time! I'm going to personally see that Lord Mozaro burns all of you!" Lore went back to laughing.

"I'm gonna pummel them!" Maxine was getting irritated by the tuants.

"Just wait!" Zack exclaimed. He was trying to think.

"What's the problem?" Trick asked.

"Cody was always so smart. I could never talk to him on his level. He was always dumbing himself down for me." Zack was pulling at his hair in frustration.

"What always brought him down?" Maxine asked. "What could you guys always talk about where smarts didn't enter into it?" Zack racked his brain in an attempt to reach an example.

"Well, he was different whenever we were with our friends, or our mom. He never tried to sound so smart when he was with all of us." That's when Zack had an epiphany. His eyes widened. Trick seemed confused.

"What?" What is it?" they asked nervously.

"Where are you from, Trick?"

"Summerville, why?"

"Ha. Of course," Zack chuckled. He lifted Lore's chair and looked right into their glazed-over green eyes.

"You seem sure of yourself," Lore taunted.

"Kara wouldn't like what you've become, Lore," Zack said softly. "She wanted you to look out for Trick. For you both to look after each other." The jester's sneer was gone. They looked angry.

"Shut up," Lore growled.

"Even Arka tried to equip you two and make sure you were ready for your adventure!" Zack yelled.

"I said, shut up!" screamed Lore.

"They were excited for you to both adventure because you're both magic users!"

At this Lore stood up, with the chair still tied to their torso. They sped toward Zack yelling as if they were possessed. Before Lore could reach Zack, they were stopped in their tracks. Zack had closed his eyes, prepared for the impact. When he opened them, Lore was trapped in a gravity field that held them in place. Zack turned to Trick, and noticed that an ethereal white glow surrounded their hand.

"Thanks," Zack said. Trick simply nodded. They slowly released the field surrounding Lore. Lore was untied and sat still on the ground, staring at their feet.

"Lore?" Trick stepped forward.

"I'm sorry," they said quietly.

"It's okay," Zack said. "You were being brainwashed."

"I know," Lore admitted. They looked up, and tears were streaming down their face. Trick knelt beside their sibling. Lore had turned a shade of red, matching their outfit. "There was a part of me that knew we were being brainwashed, and I knew something was wrong, but I was so scared about what would happen to us if I did anything about it. I didn't know if I'd be able to save you too," Lore put their head in their hands. "I was a coward!" Trick leaned in and embraced their sibling. Zack could see Lore's eyes widen at the show of affection. It was one they did not feel they deserved based on their treatment of Trick. Zack stood up from the ground and nudged Maxine's shoulder.

"Let's give them a minute," he said.

"What?" she started to argue, but stopped when she saw his serious face. She scoffed. "You trust them?" Zack nodded. "Just like you and Cody, right?" She sighed. "You seem to know what you're talking about. Zack and Maxine let Trick and Lore have their reunion in piece. They had a lot of planning to do.


	11. Chapter 11: Watch

CHAPTER 11 - WATCH

Zack and Maxine left the building where Trick and Lore were being held. She stopped his stride by grabbing his shoulder. She had a look of concern on her face. She was struggling to say what she needed to.

"What's wrong?" Zack tried to urge it out of her.

"I worry about you comparing everything to you and Cody," she admitted.

"It is kind of crazy, huh?"

"It's super crazy! Like, I believe you, but do you think everyone here is like people you knew before?"

"It's hard to shake that feeling," Zack nodded. "It's almost like a dream."

"This isn't a dream, Zack. How's that shoulder?" Her eyes went to his injury. Zack placed his hand over the wound. While he was knocked out it had been wrapped up, and he'd been given medicine to numb the pain.

"I know," Zack said sheepishly. "I need to tell myself something. I can't just have no explanation." He turned away from Maxine. He was going to go dig for the javelin and cloak at the burned down building. Maxine followed. Zack took a deep breath as he looked at the rubble. He climbed over the strewn about boards, looking for any indication that the equipment survived.

"What is your plan, exactly?" Maxine questioned. Zack was stepping on precarious partially burnt boards. He wasn't sure how long they'd hold his weight. He steadied himself.

"Simple," he smiled at her "Find my stuff. Go to Bosstown. Free Cody. The rest, I'll figure out later." He went back to digging, but the boards finally gave out. He fell knee deep into the rubble. He managed to stand up. Searing pain was sent through his shoulder. He grunted as he clutched it. Maxine had leapt into action. She was standing over him in a flash, her look of concern had returned.

"That wound will reopen if you're not careful," she said flatly.

"Thanks," he said. She folded her arms, not impressed with him. "I don't know what you want me to do?" He was becoming incredulous. "You know why I have to go help Cody. Even if you think I'm stupid, I'm still doing it." He went back to moving charred wood out of his way.

"I don't think you're stupid," she said quietly. He turned to her. "I saw how you handled Trick and Lore. A stupid person wouldn't have tried to save them. Going with your gut doesn't make you stupid." She leapt into the rubble pile with him and helped him move a piece of wood out of the way. It revealed his cloak. It was dirty, and had some of the fur was burnt, but it was still intact. Zack's eyes brightened as he picked it up. "Not allowing people to help you is kind of dumb though," she had a big grin on her face. Zack turned away to hide that he was blushing.

"Th-Thanks," he muttered as he pulled the cloak over his head. He felt rejuvenated having it on. It was like a missing limb was returned to him. Now he just needed the javelin. "Does that mean you want to come with me to Bosstown?"

"I'd be willing to accompany you," she said. "But, we're going to need a strategy." A smirk crossed her face.

"We can help with that," a voice said from beyond the rubble. Trick and Lore had arrived. Their headpieces were limply dangling on their backs. Lore stepped forward. "Mozaro brainwashed us, and you saved us, Zack." Trick joined their sibling.

"We want to repay you, and we think helping you save your brother is the best way we can do that." Trick had a bright smile on their face. They looked completely free. Lore seemed more reserved, still clearly disappointed in their involvement with the demon lord's operation. "I think I got a good way to start!" Trick took a deep breath and held their arms out. The rubble lifted into the air. Zack was amazed. He looked at the ground, and saw the flash of silver. It was the javelin. He grabbed it, allowing Trick to lower the rubble back to the ground. Lore patted their back.

"Good job, Trick." Lore's acknowledgement of their sibling came out awkwardly. Clearly, it wasn't something they were used to doing. Trick appreciated it all the same. They were beaming with pride. Zack and Maxine left the pile of rubble and joined the twin jesters. Maxine had her arms folded. Lore noticed this. "I know you don't trust us," they began. "Especially me, but I assure you that I want to help. I will do whatever I can to help you free your brother!" Zack and Maxine exchanged looks.

"What was that about people willing to help?" he asked with a smirk. She rolled her eyes, but nodded.

"Alright," she said. "Four people against an entire city! One more person, and we might just have a shot."

"Absolutely not!" Lena yelled from her bed. The group of four had gone to where she was resting, and told them their intent to attack Bosstown. Zack was taken aback by her reaction.

"Lena, we need you!" He tried to appeal to her, but she wasn't backing down.

"I want to help," she said. "If we all leave, then there's nobody to protect Everred from Enza's raiding parties. If they attack while we're gone…" she trailed off thinking of the worst outcome.

"Isn't an attack ON them better than constantly living in fear of attack FROM them?" Lore asked.

"No offense, but I still don't trust either of you," she glared at Trick and Lore. They bowed their heads solemnly.

"They were being brainwashed," Maxine said.

"I know, but that home was burnt down by their hands! Zack, they shot you! They had full intent to kill you! Now, you want them in a raiding party of your own?"

"We'd be willing to take any punishment you gave us," Trick tried to argue. "If you feel that is better than us going with you to Bosstown."

"No, I don't think that!" Zack said forcefully. "I respect what you're saying, Lena, but I think they're helpful to us. They know Bosstown, and they can get us in where we won't be spotted." He turned to the twins. "Is that fair to say?"

"Absolutely," Lore said. "Just battling through Mozaro's spire is going to require intense planning."

Lena sighed as she swung herself out of her bed. She grabbed her wooden staff that was hanging over her dresser. She cradled it in her hands as though it were a newborn child. She handed it to Zack.

"I don't understand," he said as he held the staff.

"If you are going to do this," she paused. "Which I still don't agree with, you'll need something to help you out. This will focus your magic, and give it more power." She looked to Trick. "Also, it will allow you to give them the javelin."

"Lena…" Maxine started.

"It's okay," she smiled. "It's best that I stay here. The people here need someone to help them get over this. They're shaken up, and it's my responsibility to help them rebuild."

"We won't let you down," Zack said.

"I know," she nodded. "As for you two…" she turned her attention to Trick and Lore. "If I find out that either of you did anything to Zack or Maxine." She held out her arms, and a stream of water flowed in a serpentine pattern between the two jesters. Trick and Lore stiffened as the water's tip sharpened into a blade that stopped millimeters from their necks.

"You have our word," Lore said as calmly as they could. Lena seemed satisfied that she instilled enough fear in the jesters, and the water receded.

"In that case," she went to the door. "I'll see you guys out. Bosstown is a two day's walk from here. You'll want to move quickly, if you're going to catch Enza and the Demon Lord off balance."

The group made their way to the outskirts of town. The rest of the town was there to see them off. Trick and Lore made themselves scarce. "Don't want them to see us," Trick said as they went into the grass. Lena, Maxine, and Zack shared a bear hug with each other.

"Be safe you two," Lena said. "Keep those jesters in line, will you?"

"Of course, Lena! Who do you think you're talking to?" Maxine asked incredulously.

The little boy from the previous night walked up to Zack. He knelt down next to the boy.

"Hey, kiddo. How's your mom doing?" Zack asked. The boy had a big smile on his face, revealing a missing tooth.

"She's awake! She's in bed, but wanted me to thank you for her!" The boy was proud of himself for delivering the message. "She also said, you need to come back, so she can thank you in person!"

"You got it," Zack said as he ruffled the boy's hair. "You take care of things while Maxine and I are gone, okay?" He cupped his hand next to his mouth and whispered, "Don't let Lena be in charge too much." The boy giggled and nodded. Zack stood to his full height. He was ready to go. Maxine nodded to indicate her preparedness. The two took a deep breath and made their way into the tall grass. They were on their way to Bosstown.

Trick and Lore weren't too far ahead. They had been patiently waiting for the two to say their goodbyes.

"Thanks for waiting," Zack said to the twins. "What's our plan?"

"It'd be smart for us to keep a low profile while we have the grass cover," Lore said.

"Enza has a falcon that he sends scouting all the time," Trick added. "With Lore and I gone, he might have sent it in this direction." Maxine and Zack nodded in agreement with the jesters. The duo pulled their head coverings over their face, and had their masks back on. The quartet made its way through the tall grass, keeping low to ground. Zack was walking with Trick.

"Can I ask you a question?" Zack asked the jester.

"Sure!" they were excited to be conversing with Zack. "Whatever you want!"

"Why are you guys still wearing those masks? Don't you think they're creepy?"

"That's the point," Lore said from their position at the front. "Arka designed them for us as an intimidation tactic."

"Lore and I aren't exactly imposing," Trick shrugged. "We're small, and most monsters, or people wouldn't be threatened by us, but seeing something strange like our masks and outfits would confuse, and influence fight or flight in whatever we were facing. When you're operating on those instincts, you're prone to mistakes."

"So you WERE listening to me when I taught you that?" Lore chuckled.

"I don't ignore you all the time," Trick chided. Lore grumbled at Trick's taunt. The group continued their long trek through the grass. "That can't be the only thing you wanted to ask me," Trick whispered to Zack.

"I think we should stop for a bit," Maxine called from the rear of the party. "We're reaching the edge of the grass, and I think we should take advantage of our last bit of aerial cover."

"Good idea," Lore agreed. They immediately laid down on the ground and stretched out. "Walking like that is hell on my knees," they said.

"You are so weird," Trick said to their sprawled out sibling.

"Don't come crying to me when you pull a muscle." Lore responded as they continued their stretches.

Trick removed their mask and shook their hair out. They tried to blow their bangs out of their eyes, but it just fell right back. "Oh well," they said as they removed the hair with their hands.

"I did want to ask you something, privately," Zack said. Trick raised their eyebrow, but nodded. Maxine watched Zack and Trick walk off with a quizzical look on her face. "We'll be right back," Zack said. This did not alleviate Maxine's confusion.

"Everything okay?" Trick asked when they were out of earshot.

"I know this is crazy, but I think you might be the only person who can help me. You are so much like me that it's scary." Zack said.

"Lore noticed that you and I were pretty similar too," Trick said scratching their chin.

"Your relationship with Lore is exactly like mine with Cody. How do you two resolve your fights. I mean big ones. How do you two come back together as siblings?"

"I can't guarantee that it'll work with you and Cody," Trick said with worry creeping into their voice. "I don't want to tell you the wrong thing." They noticed the desperate look on Zack's face, and sighed. "Well, Lore and I fight all the time. We're constantly arguing, and we always have been. There are times when I'm convinced Lore thinks I'm an idiot that needs to always be watched over."

"Just like me with Cody!"

"Okay, but it's a two way road," Trick said. "Lore's convinced that I think they're a know it all that can't take a punch."

"Exactly the same," Zack said excitedly.

"We always come together though, because we know we balance each other out. We know that we're always better together than apart. That's part of the reason we want to help you so badly. Mozaro didn't just make us do awful things, he split us apart while keeping us together."

"I don't understand," Zack said.

"Lore still doesn't think they deserve forgiveness. They were my keeper while we were brainwashed. If I messed up, I had to be punished. The keeper punishes those they keep."

"I'm sorry, Trick."

"It's okay," they shook their head. "I know we have a long way to go, but we'll mend our relationship because we always come together. If you and Cody are as close to Lore and I as you say, then I assume you'll come together too."

"You're really smart, you know?" Zack said in awe of the jester's logic.

"Must mean you are too," they winked.

"Hey! We should get going," Lore called from beyond the grass.

"If you ever need anything else, just ask," Trick said as they rejoined the group. Zack was happy that he got the opportunity to talk to Trick. If the two jester twins could come together after their awful experience, then surely he and Cody could do the same.

As the group walked, Zack noticed that the once dense foliage was becoming less frequent. The trees were becoming scarce, and the lush greens were turning to brown. The land died the further they walked on their path to Bosstown. Maxine noticed Zack staring at it.

"Awful, isn't it?" she lamented. This is what happens when you deal with a demon lord. Mozaro has captured so many, and wreaked so much havoc, that the land can't even sustain it.

"If this is how it looks when we're still a day away...what is it like there?" Zack asked. Maxine looked away. It wasn't a question she could answer.

"Dead." Lore said quietly from the front of the caravan. The jester put their head down. The mask with a crudely drawn smile still covered their face. "Nobody walks the streets. Everything is run out of the spire in the middle of the city. Mozaro is there! Everyone is there!" The jester was getting more upset as they spoke. "I hope you understand what we're in for with this fight. It's not just walk up to Mozaro and then fight."

"Lore, I'm sure they know that," Trick tried to calm their sibling down, but Lore was worked up.

"It needs to be said, Trick! This is a suicide mission!" Lore had stopped and was facing the other three. They removed their mask. Lore's eyes were red, and water was streaming down their face. "I want to help you, but I don't want to die. I don't want Trick to die."

"I understand," Zack said. He stepped up and wrapped Lore in a sympathetic embrace. "I'm glad you're here to help. I don't want you or Trick to die. I don't want to die. I don't want my brother to die." He felt Lore clutch his back.

"There are few innocents in Bosstown. I just hope you understand that." Lore pulled from the embrace, and pulled their hood back. Without another word they continued the march through the desolate fields. Trick went up to comfort their sibling. Zack hung back with Maxine.

"Are they with us?" she asked.

"I think so," Zack said unable to hide the weariness in his voice

"I mean we technically became friends today," she reminded him. Zack sighed. He knew they didn't have much of a choice, but Maxine was right. "I know we're going to have our heads on swivels as it is. I'd prefer to know exactly who I should be looking for."

"This has to be hard for them. Who knows how long they've been brainwashed by the demon lord. I get why you're suspicious. Just keep alert." Zack walked up to the siblings. They weren't saying anything to each other. Trick was just rubbing their twin's back. "We should probably stop for the night," Zack said quietly. "It's been a long day. Probably a good idea to rest.

"Agreed," Trick said. "Let's get off the path. Wouldn't want any night patrollers to see us."

The group moved off the path and found one of the few groups of trees in the area. The grass was dried and dead, and the trees were brittle. It made ideal kindling for the small fire they set up.

"Who's keeping watch?" Maxine asked. "I know we're off the path, but I'd feel safer knowing someone was up."

"I can do it," Trick said.

"I think Zack and I should do it," Lore interjected. Zack and Maxine shared surprised looks. Lore noticed this. "I know you two don't trust either one of us, and I don't blame you. So if it makes you feel better, we can keep watch together."

"After a few hours Maxine and I can watch," Trick said with a smile. There was no argument to this. The group managed to gather some materials for their makeshift campsite. Lore used their archery skills to down a few birds that were flying overhead for food. There wasn't much for the birds to eat themselves, so there was little meat on their bones. The group ate the gamey meal in silence. Once they were finished, Maxine found the most comfortable patch of dead grass she could find, and went to sleep without a word. Trick leaned themself against a tree. They rested their chin on their chest. The mop of black hair fell over their face like a veil. Zack and Lore stared at the fire. The only noise was the occasional crack, and the dried bark caving in on itself. Zack lazily poked it with a stick, just to watch the sparks fly high into the night sky.

"I'm sorry," Lore said.

"Hmm?" Zack had been nodding off, and Lore's strange apology woke him up. "What do you mean?"

"I didn't want to help you." The shadows on Lore's face made them look sinister. "I am because I owe Trick more than I could ever repay. Trick wants to help you" They looked to their sleeping sibling. Lore stood up and began to back up.

"What are you doing?" Zack was on his feet. He was trying to whisper as not to alarm the others. Lore grabbed their bow and aimed an arrow at Zack. He raised his hands. "Woah. Easy, Lore."

"I can't go back there. I can't go back to Bosstown. I'd be a liability. There was panic on Lore's face. "Mozaro brainwashed me first. He had me break Trick down. If I go back there, I'll be turned again."

"You won't be turned. You have more people with you." Lore fell to their knees

"I don't want to be responsible for hurting Trick again. I want to leave."

"No, you don't get to leave," Zack said forcefully. Lore's eyes went wide. "Don't you think Trick would be devastated if you disappeared in the middle of the night. I don't think they care what your reasoning is. Trick wants you here!" Zack bent over and gingerly removed the bow and arrow from Lore's grasp. Zack took his place back by the fire.

"We tried to kill you," Lore said through tears.

"All three of you have," Zack chuckled. "So get some sleep, Lore. I'll keep watch." Lore looked like they were going to protest, but nodded. They crawled over to where Trick was still leaning against the tree. They curled up nearby and fell asleep. Zack kept watch until the morning. He had too much adrenaline to sleep, and the others needed the rest more. It'd been an intense 24 hours and they were all here to help him. He could at least repay them with a good night's sleep.


	12. Chapter 12: Bosstown

CHAPTER 12 - BOSSTOWN

When the others awoke the following morning, they silently dismantled their impromptu camp. Trick and Lore spoke in hushed tones throughout the morning. Zack didn't know what they were discussing, but he was glad that Lore was sticking around. He saw the two of them going back and forth and thought about Cody. They had never been apart this long. Their mother used to tell them that they had a twin connection. No matter how rough things got, they'd find their way back together.

It didn't take long for the group to start back on their journey. Trick and Lore led the way, while Maxine and Zack brought up the rear.

"They haven't stopped talking," Maxine said. She was staring at the twin jesters leading their convoy.

"Listen, I know you don't trust them, but maybe you should ease up a bit," Zack said, frustration eeking out in his voice. She didn't seem to mind.

"I DON'T trust them, but that's not why I bring it up. I'm more concerned they aren't paying attention." She frowned. "We don't know what we're running into, and we all have different reasons for being here," she reminded him. "We need to be on the same page." She was right, of course. If they were going to have any success, it was important they be ready for anything, including each other. It was then that Trick and Lore stopped. They faced the other two with serious expressions. Zack was instantly worried. His hand clutched his staff tighter, unsure of what the twins wanted.

"We need a plan for when we enter Bosstown," Lore said. "We've come up with something, but you won't like it." Their voice trailed off at the end. Neither Zack nor Maxine said anything. Better to let Lore explain themself. They looked to their sibling for help.

"As far as Mozaro knows, we haven't defected. Bosstown is run from Mozaro's spire. We can get up to higher floors, and thus closer to Mozaro by using a bit of trickery." A slight smile came across the jester's face. "Simply, you two pretend that you're captives of Lore and I."

"What?" Maxine said immediately. A look of confusion and disgust was etched on her features. "Absolutely not!" She waved her hands. "Look, I've come around a bit on you two, but not that much!"

"We knew you wouldn't really like it," Lore argued. "Think about it for a minute though. If you two are our captives, we get in with no suspicion. Trick and I would come back with captives all the time. We'd raise no alarm." This was an interesting point. Zack would prefer to fight less, and not drain their stamina.

"I'd assume it's obvious, but you'd have to be tied up." Trick said gingerly. Their attempt to soften the blow did not work. Maxine laughed out loud. She'd had enough of this hypothetical.

"What's to stop the two of you from handing us over to Mozaro? We'd be tied up on a silver platter!" Maxine shouted. "Here's an idea, if you two are important members of his forces to where you can get that close to him with no questions…" she tried to think of an equivalency. "How about we go there with you two as hostages and demand to see him." She had stepped closer to the twins, who, to their credit, held their ground.

"If you think that's a better solution, we will go with it," Lore said. "I assure you that Mozaro doesn't care for either one of us. He'd likely allow you to get close just to laugh at you."

"Sounds like we end up in his chamber either way," Maxine taunted. Trick and Lore said nothing.

"Zack, what do you think?" Trick asked. Zack scratched his head. Maxine was being facetious, but Zack understood her weariness. There was a large element of risk involved with the twins' plan. Then again, the entire trip to Bosstown was risky.

"I'm sorry, Maxine," he said slowly. "I think we raise less overall suspicion as their captives. I want as little casualty as possible." He turned to the twins. "You guys promise that you won't hand us over to Mozaro?"

"Seriously?" Maxine laughed. Zack walked up to the twins and stared them in their eyes. He was a few inches from each one, looking back and forth. They were unwavering.

"We promise," Trick said. "You've done so much for us, thus far. We're with you to the end." Zack turned his attention to Lore.

"I'm still here, aren't I? Lore asked "You have my word." Zack nodded.

"That's it?" Maxine was exasperated at the turnout.

"It's not ideal," Zack admitted. "However, I think it will work, and after everything that's happened, I trust the two of them. I know they'll repay that trust."

"Okay," Maxine said, resigned to this new plan. "If either of you two do anything to hurt Zack, I will ignore Mozaro and come straight for the two of you. Am I clear?" The twins nodded at the threat. With all matters satisfied, Trick and Lore tied the duos wrists together. Zack grimaced as he tried to pull apart his wrist restraints.

"Don't worry," Trick giggled. "We'll be able to remove them quickly if we have to," they assured Zack.

"You're with us, right?" Zack asked again for good measure. The jester smiled. They gave Zack a pat on the chest.

"Have to be. You and I are the same, after all." Trick put their head piece back on, and Zack was once again staring at the crudely drawn X eyes. Lore had done the same after tying Maxine's wrists. "We're going to stop Mozaro. I believe we can do it." Even with his wrists tied, Zack felt confident in their ability to do so.

The group made their way to Bosstown. Zack could feel himself sweating more as they reached the city limits. It didn't take long for a large black spire in the distance to start becoming clearer and larger. This was Mozaro's spire. It was an impressive landmark. It rivaled buildings Zack had seen in his own home city. He angled his neck to see all of it.

"We've gotta scale that?" Zack asked.

"Yep," Trick said. "Mozaro's at the top. Now do you see why we're better off keeping you guys as captives?" Trick let out a little chuckle.

As they walked the spire grew taller, and Bosstown drew closer. Zack felt the butterflies scampering in his stomach. He felt like he was going to throw up. He was having second thoughts about this plan. He didn't know where in the spire Cody was, if he was even there. He tried to shake out the negative thoughts, but they lingered.

"Fair warning," Lore said quietly. "Once we enter Bosstown, Trick and I are going to be rougher with the two of you, and we won't be speaking on such friendly terms."

"Makes sense," Maxine said roughly. "Gotta sell it, right?"

"Right," Lore agreed.

They didn't have to wait long for that change in Trick and Lore. Once the crossed the city's border, Zack received a hard shove in the back. He wasn't expecting it, and feel forward. His face scraped on the hard ground. He grunted as he was grabbed by his cloak and roughly lifted to his feet.

"Move," Trick growled. The jester sure was convincing. Zack and Maxine were forced through the town to the base of the spire. A group of Lizardmen were guarding the entrance.

"Ssstop," one of them hissed. The creature went up to the two prisoners. "We mussst inssspect the new cargo!" Its long tongue kept protruding and retreating into the creature's drooling mouth.

"Out of the way, Tadpole," Lore threatened. "These are stowaways from Denmall."

"Lore?" the Lizard immediately backed off. The jester clearly held a high amount of respect form the creatures. "Enza thinkssss you have defected. We didn't know you were ssstill rounding up ssstowawaysss."

"Of course I haven't defected. Trick had failed to capture these two, and I had to step in." Lore informed them. This caused the three Lizardmen guards to laugh.

"That meansss punishment for Trick again!" The main Lizardman said with glee. "Sssuch a failure. What would you do if Lore wasssn't there to back you up?" Trick said nothing.

"If we can be on our way now?" Lore tried to push their way through the guards.

"One sssecond, Lore! Aren't you going to punish your...what isss it? Brother? Sssistsser?" The guards laughed again.

"Sibling, Tadpole!" Lore said. Zack could see their hand trembling holding onto Maxine's shoulder. To her credit, she was staring straight ahead. "What do you care, anyway? Trick's already received their punishment. If Lord Mozaro requests further punishment, then further punishment will be dispensed."

"Prove to usss you haven't defected." There was a sick hunger in the eyes of the Lizard. More drool was flowing from its maw.

"Trick was not punished properly by Lore," Trick said, holding their arms out. "Trick's mistakes were many."

The Lizards were laughing from deep within their bellies at this display. With blazing speed, Lore appeared before one and jammed their fist into the laughing lizard's stomach. Drool splattered all over the place as the creature gasped for air. It's slitted eyes were wide with shock from the blow. His friends were in shock too.

"This is why your worthless kind never makes it above the ground floor of the spire!" Lore removed their fist from the Lizardman's stomach. He fell to the ground, trembling. "Trick's punishment is not for you to decide. Their wellbeing falls to me." Lore motioned for Trick to take Maxine and Zack inside. "I hope that proves I haven't defected." Lore caught up with the others. They pushed their way to an elevator.

Zack looked around the ground floor of the spire. He was shocked to see that there was nothing on this level. The floor was just the Earth. There were no rooms, it was just wide open with black walls closing them in. The ceiling was also black making the wide open room feel claustrophobic. At the center of the room was an elevator. Trick and Lore shoved the other two to the elevator. When the doors closed, Lore breathed a sigh of relief.

"You should have hit me," Trick said softly.

"No. We're not doing that anymore!" Lore said. "I'M not doing that anymore."

"Are we going to the penthouse now?" Zack asked. "Am I allowed to talk to you guys in here?"

"Yeah, you're fine," Trick said. "We're going to be a few floors below the penthouse. Elevator only goes so high."

"This place is really creepy," Maxine said. "I feel a weird pressure."

"You're in a demon's domain," Lore informed her. "We feel it right now too, because we're not under his control. It's taking a lot ot make it look like it's not affecting us."

"I don't feel any different?" Zack said.

The elevator dinged. Maxine and Zack were thrown from the elevator

"No more talking," shouted Lore.

Zack and Maxine hit the ground hard. Once again they were unceremoniously lifted to their feet.

"Well, well, well," a voice said. "What is this?" Zack looked and saw a man wearing green plate armor. He had tanned skin, and his hair was shaved close to his head. A falcon rested on his shoulder. It was the man that lead the raiding party on Denmall. It was Enza. "Trick and Lore back at last! It's lovely to see the two of you. I missed you both so much!"

"Your pets told us as much," Lore hissed.

"Ha! Always so cruel, Lore. You know not to listen to them," Enza cackled.

"I had to teach one a lesson when it accused me of defecting," Lore said.

"You have anger issues, Lore. You should be more agreeable like Trick!" With amazing dexterity, Enza grabbed Trick in a headlock and pulled them away from the other three. Trick was flailing in attempt to get away. "I'm assuming this little jester was the reason why you were both missing for these last couple days?" Enza asked squeezing Trick's head. The helpless jester was moaning trying to get free. "One of these days, Mozaro is gonna let me pop you like a grape!"

"I assume he hasn't ordered you to do that today?" Lore asked. Zack looked at Lore. Their hands were behind their back, being wrung nervously. Enza had loosened his grip on Trick and held them by the earpiece.

"No, but I lost a lot of time because of this...thing you drag along with you, Lore." Enza spun Trick toward him and reared his fist back. Thinking quickly, Zack launched his spell at Trick. The jester was covered in bright blue light. The spell took effect just as Enza's fist made contact with Trick's stomach. They grunted, but managed to stand their ground. Enza saw the blue light surrounding them, and Zack with his hand out. "You have defected!" There was a twisted smile on Enza's face now. "I've always wanted to be rid of the two of you!"

Using their quick speed, Lore sped up to Enza and leapt into the air. Their knee came into contact with Enza's chin, sending him to the ground. The falcon on his shoulder flew across the room.

"Dudley! Get reinforcements! Trick and Lore have defected!" The man stood to his feet and drew his sword.

Trick freed Zack and Maxine. The four stood ready to face Enza. He was laughing hysterically.

"Four heads for the trophy case. Four bodies for my pets!"


	13. Chapter 13:Battle

CHAPTER 13 - BATTLE

"We don't have to do this," Zack tried to appeal to Enza, who had drawn his sword. "Think about it, you're in his domain! You're under his control! You can be more than what he's making you!" Enza stood up for a moment, as if he were pondering Zack's words. A smirk slowly crept across his face.

"I'm surprised, Lore. You've gotten some child to speak for you now!" He laughed at his own taunt. Lore's mask fully covered their face, but Zack could tell they were shaking beneath it. "I can't be more," Enza said to Zack. "I'm already at my best!" With a green shadow following him, Enza sped towards Zack. He had his sword raised above his head. Before Zack could react, Enza swung down with all his might. The sword was stopped. Trick had leapt in front of Zack to block the killing blow.

"Trick!" Zack was elated by the jester's interference.

"So you are capable of thinking for yourself?" Enza said mockingly. He backed off from them. Lore stepped next to their sibling.

"Zack, Maxine, go upstairs. Start making your way to Mozaro. We'll catch up."

"Are you nuts?" Maxine began to protest, but Lore just gave her a look. She seemed intimidated by the mask's lack of eyes for the first time. She simply nodded. "Come on, Zack." The duo started to flank around the room to get to the staircase behind Enza.

"It's three more floors to the top," Trick called to them. "Keep going up, and you'll find Mozaro."

"As well as some other surprises," Enza said maniacally. "You think he didn't know the four of you were coming?" An arrow lodged itself in Enza's sword arm, catching him by surprise. He chuckled as he ripped it out. "Your aim is off, Lore. Nervous?"

Zack and Maxine made their way up the metal staircase. Every step made a loud clanging noise that rang throughout the building. When they reached the landing they saw a garden in the center of the room. The luscious greenery against the black walls surprised Zack and Maxine.

"What is this?" Zack asked.

"A garden?" Maxine was equally confused.

"Invaders!" A gravelly voice said from within the plants. A massive goblin emerged from the vegetation. It was baring it's jagged teeth that were tinted brown from neglect. It's amber eyes glared at the two humans before it. Several smaller, but equally dangerous goblins appeared at its flank. The smaller goblins wielded spears and swords. Zack noticed that the larger goblin's right hand was missing. A metal club was grafted to the beast's arm where that appendage should have been. Zack nervously gripped his staff. He looked to Maxine. Her brow had furrowed. How wasn't she nervous about this? Zack was sure that his appeal for peace wouldn't work on these creatures, but he decided to try anyway.

"We just want to see the demon lord," Zack said. "He has my brother." The goblins laughed at him. "Please," Zack pleaded. "Please just let us go up to him?"

"You come to our home! You attack our home! You invade our home!" The large goblin growled at him. "You go nowhere!" He thrust his club hand forward and the smaller goblins rushed at Zack and Maxine.

"Can I have a boost please?" Maxine asked calmly. Zack looked at her. He realized he hadn't seen her fight yet. She was in a fighting stance. The goblins were fast approaching, so Zack didn't have time to ponder this lapse in judgement on his part. He cast his spell on her, and she was enveloped in the blue light. She took a deep breath and leapt toward the first goblin. She raised her knee up and caught the goblin in the chin. It's head flew back and its eyes rolled into its head. The force of the attack loosened the monster's grip on its spear. The weapon flew into the air. Before it touched the ground, Maxine was able to catch it. In the same motion she jammed it into the second goblin's abdomen. The goblin fell to it's back, motionless.

Maxine didn't have time to admire her handiwork. The third goblin swung its sword at her. She deftly avoided the wild sword stroke. She jumped in the air and delivered a straight kick to the monster's jaw. The kick caused the monster to see stars. It was dizzy, practically out on its feet. The fourth goblin lunged at Maxine. It managed to tackle her to the ground, but in a swift motion, she managed to flip the goblin off of her. She bent her knees and kipped up off the ground. She turned to the goblin she had flipped off of her. It ripped the spear from its fallen ally and pointed the tip at Maxine. A sick smile was etched on it's gnarled, green face. Maxine was unfazed. She bent her knees slightly as the monster lunged toward her, the spear's sharpened edge looming. At the last second, Maxine contorted her body to avoid the swing. She was all the way back, using her hands to support herself. The goblin's momentum took it right past Maxine and into the chest of the goblin that had been dazed by Maxine's kick.

She rose back to a vertical based and looked at the surprised goblin. It turned to her and received the full impact of Maxine's boot right to its nose. Zack could hear the crunching of the goblin's bones as it fell to the ground. Maxine took another deep breath and turned to Zack. She smiled brightly at him. She chuckled when she saw that his mouth was hanging open.

"You don't become a successful bandit like me without learning how to throw a punch or two!" She turned her attention to the large goblin. Its twisted smile had disappeared. It readied it's clubbed hand. "Okay, Zack. You need to get upstairs," she urged.

"What? By myself?" Zack asked incredulously.

"Yeah," she said calmly. "Remember, you were going to come here by yourself originally. Good thing you had some help, eh?" She winked at him. "Find your brother."

"Waste!" The large monster bellowed. "You don't have magic! You're just a human!" He pointed his metal hand at Maxine. The club was charred, scraped, and rusted from repeated use.

"We'll see big guy!" Maxine turned to Zack. "Go! I got this. I'll come and help you when I'm done." Zack nodded and left her side. He kept his eyes on the goblin as it advanced on Maxine. It didn't pay him any mind. Zack found this odd. Wouldn't it's goal be to stop anyone from advancing. Enza didn't seem interested in stopping them either. Zack pushed through the foliage in the room. He didn't know if there were other goblins hidden in the shrubberies and plants, but he didn't care. He would run past them. He cast his spell on himself, just in case. At the very least, it allowed him to push through the garden with greater speed and dexterity.

The plants scrapped his face, but he managed to get through. He was sweating, and his face was bleeding from the thorns. He wiped it all on his sleeve, prepared to make his way up the black grated staircase before him. He thought about what he might find on the next floor. It was the floor right before the top. The place where the Demon Lord would be. Zack gulped, and made his way up the stairs. He could hear the crashing of the goblin's metal hand against the floor behind him. He stopped, and thought about going back for Maxine. He should have never left her alone to fight that beast. He could at least have cast spells on her to strengthen her. She had insisted she could handle it. After what she did to the four smaller goblins, Zack hoped she was right.

He arrived on the landing and was shocked at what he saw. The room was a giant library. The walls were loaded with books up to the ceilings. Books of all shapes, sizes, and colors lined every shelf. Zack saw the stairs on the opposite side of the room. He thought of making a beeline to them, but curiosity overtook him. He looked at the books on the shelf. He pulled a navy blue book away from its brethren and looked at it. The blue binding was cloth, and there was a silver PKD emblazoned on the cover. Zack began thumbing through the crisp pages.

"That's a good one," a voice said from behind him. "It's about psychological deterioration, and experiencing reality through different lenses."

"I'll wait for the movie," Zack quipped back. "Where are you, Cody?" Cody walked out from behind one of the shelves. Zack ran to him, but stopped when he saw his twin's face. His eyes were shadowed with black smudge, and his eyeballs were fully black. "Are you alright?" Zack asked.

"Perfectly fine. Being taken in by the Demon Lord was the best thing that could have happened," Cody said, a sneer crossing his face. "Mozaro got me what I wanted. Knowledge. Books about anything and everything. Even my favorite works of fiction. He makes it all appear for me!"

"Cody, I thought you were dead," Zack said. "I came here to rescue you." This caused the other boy to laugh. His laugh was unnatural. It wasn't Cody's laugh. There was no joy behind it. It was almost robotic.

"You weren't concerned about my safety when you abandoned me in Denmall." He got close to Zack's face. Zack stared into the deep black pools that were Cody's eyes. He had to look away. "You're a coward," Cody accused.

"What did you want me to do? You were in a cage, under heavy guard. I had a javelin!" Zack was yelling now. "I've come for you now! We can get out of here. We can try to figure out how to get home!" Zack was pleading with his brother, who didn't seem interested in his proposal.

"That's why I have this," Cody said, motioning to his books. "I read as many as I can, looking for any sort of logical explanation to what happened to us. There's so many possible explanations, that I realized it doesn't matter. They all end up the same way. We have to accept it! We live here now."

"What? What about mom? What about our friends back home! You just want to stay here?"

"I'm somebody here!" Cody yelled. Zack took a step back. "My brain means something here. My intelligence has values. I've already used my book knowledge to improve things. The garden below us was my idea! Enza's battle tactics have improved. That's why I was moved up one floor below my lord."

"Do you hear yourself?" Zack asked, disgusted. "You would abandon your family to help a demon that's causing the world to suffer."

"Of course I'd abandon my family. My family holds my talents back. All it's ever used for is to get you out of trouble. I can be so much more without you. That's what I am." Cody smiled. "If you join us, you can be strong like me." He held his hand out, but Zack backed off.

"You're brainwashed. The only way to get you to see things right is to knock some sense into you." Zack raised his fists. He didn't want to fight Cody when he wasn't himself, but this was the only way. Cody was far smarter than he was. Zack wouldn't be able to outwit him. Cody looked disappointed.

"I was hoping you wouldn't resort to brutish tactics, but that is how you operate I suppose," Cody lamented. Zack cast his spell on himself. This brought a smile to Cody's face. "Use it as many times as you want. It won't matter." Zack lunged at his brother, his fist reared back. He aimed directly for Cody's chest. He didn't want to punch his brother in the face. Cody read the telegraphed move and caught Zack's fist. Zack was shocked. With a sinister smirk, Cody bent Zack's fist backwards. He felt his wrist snap. He screamed as Cody let go of him. Zack held his limp wrist in his good hand. He staggered backwards as the pain seared through him. He looked back up, and Cody was right in his face. He swung and caught Zack in the cheek with a nasty right hook. Zack was launched off his feet from the force of the blow. He landed hard on his back. He groaned as he reached for his cheek. His vision was blurred, and his face stung from the hit.

Cody stepped over Zack and grabbed his cloak to lift him up. He smirked and said, "You don't get to hold me back anymore, Zack." He casually tossed his brother into the bookshelf. The books and shelving collapsed as Zack crashed into them. He slumped to the ground as the books fell on top of him, partially burying him. Cody let out a laugh, as he prepared to do more damage to his downed twin.

Two floors below where Zack and Cody were fighting, Enza was panting. He'd been chasing the two jesters to no avail. They were both agile, and easily avoided his heavy swings. Enza was noticing fatigue starting to creep into their movements as well. Their reaction time to his attacks was diminishing by fractions of a second. They wouldn't be able to avoid him forever.

"Enza, you're under control! Stop this!" Trick tried to plead with Enza. He ignored their attempt to reach him.

"The only way I stop is if you stop me!" Enza ran forward. He held his sword tucked against his waist. He'd noticed that Trick had been slowing down faster than Lore. They would be his target. Enza kept the sword pointed toward Trick, but kept his hands back. He was going to make a thrusting attack. Trick anticipated this, and began to spin out of the way. Just as Enza wanted. Enza thrust his sword toward's Trick's stomach, and the jester avoided the blow. However, Enza noticed the weight shift on Trick's right foot, indicating they would dodge to the left. Enza swung the blade in that direction, and made contact. The tip of the sword sliced at Trick's stomach. It brought the jester to the ground in a heap.

"You guys are a lot slower in Mozaro's domain!" Enza exclaimed!

"Trick!" Lore cried out. They immediately went to their fallen sibling's side. They carefully removed Trick's headpiece. Their sweat drenched hair fell to the floor. Trick had already gone white. Their eyes were wide and darting all around the room. Lore kept their hand on the wound to stop the bleeding. They removed their own headpiece. "You're going to be okay!" They took Trick's hand and placed it over the gash in their stomach. Lore sensed something out of their periphery. Enza was rushing for a cowardly strike. Lore managed to ready their bow and turn towards Enza. He was right on top of the wide eyed jester. Lore pulled back their arrow and it was enveloped in a green light. With the power of wind the arrow hit Enza in his chest plate. The force knocked him back. He fell with a thud on the opposite side of the room. He sat up, woozy from the attack. He looked at his chest where the arrow had struck. A distinct crack was visible in his plate armor.

Lore angrily grabbed their sibling's javelin. Fury emanated from them as they made their way toward the downed Enza. He had dropped his sword as he flew through the air, and was defenseless. He was completely at Lore's mercy. Tears were in their eyes as they pointed the weapon at Enza's head.

"You were better brainwashed," Enza said. "That's the real you! The real Lore doesn't cry at what is necessary!"

Lore went to thrust the javelin into Enza's head, but something held them back. They couldn't move their arm. They looked at the javelin and noticed that it was surrounded in a familiar ethereal light. Lore turned to see that Trick was sitting up. Their hand was preventing as much blood loss as possible, while the other hand was pointed at Lore. They were struggling to speak. All Trick could do was shake their head. Lore fell to their knees. The javelin fell to the floor with a harmless clang.

"Pathetic," Enza taunted. Lore responded by unloading a palm strike to Enza's cheek. The blow knocked him out, and he laid unconscious on the floor.

"I am the real Lore," they said to the downed man. Lore looked to Trick who was smiling at them. They tearfully ran over to their sibling who had fallen back to the ground. "Trick?" Lore went to lift Trick's head, but they coughed, stopping Lore in their tracks.

"I'll be okay. That falcon went to get reinforcements. We need to stop the elevator." Trick grimaced as they spoke.

"How?" Lore asked. Trick just smiled

"You're a pretty good shot," they said weakly. Lore looked over to the elevator. The doors were shut tight. They looked back to Trick.

"I'd hate to ask, but I need your help."

"Anytime," Trick said with a bright smile. They struggled to face the elevator. Lore kept their hand behind Trick as support. Trick held their hand out and the ethereal light enveloped the elevator doors. They pulled apart at Trick's command. "Make it count," they grunted the words out. Lore took their bow and followed the thick black cables up the elevator shaft. They could see the top of the shaft where the system's pulley mechanism was. Lore pulled back on the bowstring, and the green light enveloped the arrow. They fired the arrow and it lodged in the mechanism.

"That should delay them," Lore said triumphantly. They turned to Trick who was slowly getting to their feet. "Woah! What are you doing? You shouldn't overexert!"

"Lore, I'm fine. You don't have to worry about me all the time," Trick said.

"Yes I do! I'm the reason…" Lore began to argue.

"Then I forgive you," Trick said nonchalantly. "I know you've been blaming yourself for what's happened to me while we were brainwashed. It isn't your fault. You've always looked out for me. I'm glad Zack was able to keep you from leaving." Lore smiled.

"Maybe he was right. Maybe you two are the same." Lore laughed at this, which caused Trick to join in. The siblings shared an embrace. "Let's get upstairs and help them. We can destroy his domain!"

The twins went upstairs and saw Maxine by herself. She was sitting in the middle of the room. There was nothing around her. Trick and Lore were surprised. Where was Zack?

"Maxine?" Trick cautiously asked. She didn't seem to hear their call. Trick and Lore shared nervous looks. "What happened to Zack?" Trick tried again, but again Maxine did not respond.

"Do you remember who lived on this floor?" Lore whispered to their sibling.

"The goblin king," Trick said racking their memory for the answer. Lore's eyes went wide. The twins walked around Maxine. She was sitting cross legged and her eyes were closed. She seemed to be muttering something to herself.

"Maxine?" Lore asked with a little more force. This caused her to open her eyes. The force with which her eyes opened caused the jesters to take a step back.

"Hey you two! You made it." Her eyes went to Trick's wound. "Trick, you're hurt," her voice showed concern.

"A goblin king lived on this floor," Lore blurted out. Maxine looked angry again.

"I don't want to talk about it," she said through gritted teeth. She got to her feet and walked up to Trick with her hand out. "I can take care of that wound though." Trick instinctively backed away, their eyes fearful. Maxine sighed. "Fine, bleed out." her emotions were cycling rapidly.

"Where's Zack?" Lore tried to get her focused.

"Upstairs," she said, now with a bored tone to her voice.

"He can't face Mozaro alone!" Trick said worriedly. "Maxine, what happened?" Maxine looked disgusted.

"What's it to you?"

"Humor us!" Lore shouted

"Pound sand," she scoffed. "I'm getting out of here."

"Good luck! The elevator's broken." Maxine rolled her eyes and sat bag down on the floor, cross legged.

"We don't have time for this," Trick said. They made their way for the stairs, and Lore followed.

"Who are you two?" Maxine called from behind them. They turned to face her. She was standing up slowly. She looked around, confused.

"What? It's Trick and Lore," Trick said. They looked to Lore, who shrugged. "We need to get to Zack."

"Zack?" her brow furrowed. "Wait, I know you. You're the ones who attacked him!"

"What is she talking about? She just remembered us," Lore asked. Trick shook their head. "Maxine. We were brainwashed. You and Zack saved us, remember?"

"I've done it again," she lamented.

"Done what?" Lore asked. "Maxine, Zack's in danger. We need to go!"

"I destroyed it all," she covered her mouth with her hands as she stared around the room. "I used my magic again." She put her hand over her head as if she'd just come down with a bad migraine. Trick and Lore still stood confused. "It can destroy living organisms," she whispered to them. The jesters gulped. "I try to never use it. It messes with my memory and emotions."

"Well, we need to save Zack. He's upstairs." Lore reminded her of the pressing concern.

"I can't go up there. I shouldn't have come. I thought I'd be able to resist the temptation to use it."

"Then it's a last resort," Lore said. "We trust you to make the right decision." She seemed surprised at Lore's show of confidence.

"Why? I've shown nothing but contempt for the two of you," she said.

"You know who we are now. We want the same thing," Trick assured her. She nodded and joined them at the foot of the stairs.

"Let's finish this," she said. Trick and Lore nodded. The trio then made their way up the stairs.


	14. Chapter 14: Price

CHAPTER 14 - PRICE

When Trick, Lore, and Maxine made it to the top step, a horrifying sight greeted them. Cody was sitting in a chair with a book in his hands. He seemed engross in his reading. Zack was lying on the floor. His cloak had been removed, and he was in his tee shirt and track pants. His eyes were closed as he lay on his back. Blood was streaming down his face and pooling on the ground beneath him. The red substance had congealed in his hair. He'd been lying in his own blood for awhile. His cloak was draped over the back of a different chair next to Cody. Zack's staff leaned casually against the same chair. He looked up from his book and smiled at the horror on their faces.

"Isn't it liberating?" he asked gleefully. "When someone who's looked down on you finally gets their comeuppance? Zack was always the strong one back home. I'm sure he's told you." He smiled at his unconscious twin. "Here, that's not the case. In Lord Mozaro's domain. I'm the strong one. He's weak. As evidenced by that."

"Did he even fight back?" Lore asked. Cody pondered and eventually shrugged.

"No, I guess he didn't. He just kept blabbing about brainwashing, or some sort of nonsense." He waved off the idea. "I responded to that by hitting him until he couldn't talk anymore." Cody giggled.

"How could you do that to your brother?" Maxine asked.

"Who cares if he's my brother? Who cares if he looks like me? He's not me! I have no obligation to him."

"When the brainwashing leaves you, this is going to hurt you, Cody," Lore said. "This will sting more than anything else. Even if you're forgiven, it'll still hurt." Lore looked to Trick.

"Ah yes, the twin jesters. Zack mentioned the two of you. Said you were shades of the two of us, and he managed to brainwash you it seems." Cody said squinting at Trick and Lore. He stepped toward them. "Which one of you is me then?" Lore stepped forward. Cody smirked and then threw his book with all his might toward Lore. The book moved with blazing speed. The amount of power behind Cody's throw was staggering. If it hit Lore, it would break his nose for sure, and possibly do more damage. Maxine jumped in the way and the book bounced off her bracer. It fell to the ground. Cody didn't seem concerned by this.

"Cheap move," she said.

"I know who you're supposed to be, bandit girl," Cody snickered. "Zack always did have the hots for you." Maxine blushed at this.

"I know he does," Maxine said.

"Our version of you never had the heart to break his," Cody taunted. "Do you? Can you look at that miserable heap on the ground and break his heart?" Trick looked to Maxine. Her eyes were turning black.

"Maxine, don't let him get to you," they warned.

"You miserable puke," Maxine growled.

"That's right! Erase me! Just like you did downstairs!" Cody yelled.

"M-Maxine," Zack stammered from the ground.

"Oh, you're awake?" Cody sighed.

"Stay with us," Zack choked out the words. Cody picked Zack up by the scruff of his shirt. Zack couldn't stand on his own. Cody lifted the dead weight with ease, and held Zack up to his face.

"You just never learn! Why must you be this stupid? All it does is get you and people around you hurt!" Cody yelled at him. Zack responded with laughter.

"I love you, Cody." He rammed his forehead as hard as he could into Cody's face. Zack caught him flush in the nose. It caused him to drop Zack and stagger backwards, holding his nose. Zack fell onto his back, still not having enough strength in his legs. Trick and Lore rushed to him and dragged him further away from Cody. Cody regained his composure and looked at the blood on his hand. It was streaming out of his nose and onto the floor.

"I'm going to kill all four of you," he said coldly.

"Easy, Cody," a voice said from behind him. Cody turned and bowed his head. Demon Lord Mozaro had made his presence known. A smoky aura followed him as he entered the room from his penthouse. "An interesting group has made its way into my domain! To us, they are pests, but with the right thought process, they could be useful," he informed his underling. Cody nodded.

"Yes, my lord." Cody backed away. Mozaro stared at the group of adventurers with his pure black eyes.

"Trick and Lore! My favorite jesters!" He sneered at the twins. Smoke was still rising from underneath his feet and surrounded him in a protective veil. His grey skin looked like ash. He stepped toward them, his straight black ponytail swinging behind him. Nobody could move as he stared at all of them. "The bandit girl with the power to make everything disappear," he said to Maxine. She gritted her teeth in response. "You removed that disgusting Goblin King, his minions, and even the plant life in one stroke. Impressive!" He finally turned to Zack. "And you, the boy from another world. Cody has told me all about you." He chuckled. "Nothing much from the looks of you." He held out his hand and beckoned with his long fingers. The nails were sharp and black. The motion focused an energy stream around Zack. It lifted him off his feet and pulled him towards Mozaro.

Being caught in the Demon Lord's grip terrified Zack. He struggled to free himself from the monster's hands. He looked down below him. It was from this high up that he finally got a sense of the true immensity of Mozaro. Zack was at least eight feet off the ground. His legs flailed as he tried to escape.

"You are a fighter. Determined. That is clear. Why?" Mozaro asked the frightened boy in his grasp.

"I'm going to free Cody," Zack yelled in the demon's face. This caused Mozaro to smile.

"Why do that? How about you join me, and I can help you find your way home." Mozaro hissed quietly so only Zack could hear.

"You can do that?" Zack asked.

"Of course. You've seen my domain. Bosstown! It is what I make it. I can do anything!" Mozaro raised his free hand emphatically. "That is the power of a demon lord!"

"You're lying!" Zack smirked at the monster. This erased the smile from Mozaro's face. "If you could do anything, you wouldn't have to trick me into joining you."

"You think you're clever, but you are just an ignorant child," the demon lord said coldly. He clenched his fist around Zack. He struggled to breathe as Mozaro crushed him. "An insect, not worth my time!" Mozaro squeezed Zack harder. Zack cried out as he struggled to free himself. He was stuck. Like a venus flytrap closing it's maw around a helpless bug. Cody watched this from below. He saw his brother struggling as he was squeezed. He frowned. This isn't what he wanted. He heard bones snap, and Zack's cries of agony. Cody needed to step in.

"Sir! If we want him to join us, he won't be useful if he's broken!" He called to his master.

"Silence, boy! I'm no longer interested in him as a slave. I want him as a corpse." He gave a final squeeze and Zack's eyes went wide. He went limp in Mozaro's grip. The demon lord tossed his broken body aside. He landed with a sickening thud right in front of Cody. "Besides, this is what you wanted," Mozaro growled. Cody knelt at his twin's side. Zack's bright blue eyes were dimmed, and glazed over.

"This isn't what I wanted. I wanted to prove myself. I wanted to prove that I didn't need him. That I had surpassed him!" Cody pulled at his hair. "You tricked me! You said you'd make me stronger!"

"I fulfilled my promise," Mozaro said. "You're stronger by default." Cody lowered his head. He'd made the ultimate mistake. This was all his fault. Tears fell from his eyes and landed on his brother's face. He looked up to the other adventurers that had accompanied Zack. Maxine had tears in her eyes and she was standing tall. She was shaking.

"Trick. Lore. Run." she said. All emotion disappeared from her voice. Her eyes turned a hellish shade of red. Was she going to use her end magic?

"Maxine!" Lore tried to stop her. "Don't do this."

"I do it! They're gone forever, and I forget all of this. It's the best decision!" Maxine screamed. Trick managed to pull their sibling away from Maxine. A red flow of energy burst from her. Cody grabbed Zack and held his body close.

"I want this to stop!" he cried out. "Please stop!" He closed his eyes tight. He didn't feel anything. Was this death? Is this what it felt like to be nothing? He certainly deserved such a feeling. He opened his eyes. He was still holding Zack's body. He looked around the room. Mozaro was standing still. His arms were raised, shielding his face. The aura that had flown from Maxine had stopped. Everything was still. The jesters were in mid stride, running out of the room, the blast right on their heels. "Did I do this?" Cody questioned. He looked at his hands. A golden light surrounded them. "I have magic too!" Mozaro had convinced him that he had none. Only Zack had been imbued with it.

He thought of how he could stop these events from transpiring. He needed to be able to save Zack, and prevent Mozaro from killing him. "I don't know how far I can go back?" he thought aloud. "I'll have to figure it out." He thought about going backwards, and watched as everything in the room began to rewind. Zack's body flew from the ground, to Mozaro's hands, back to his friends. Cody watched a shadow of himself fighting with the group. Eventually it came to a stop with his echo holding Zack up. It was right before he took the headbutt in the nose. Cody felt his nose, and held his fingers up to his eyes. He expected to see blood, but there was nothing. He sighed and walked up to his own body, stopped in time. "Let's get this right this time."

Time resumed, with Zack's head lolled back.

"I love you, Cody!" In an instant, Zack brought it forward as fast as he could. Cody managed to lower his own head, and the twins' foreheads collided. They both grunted at the impact.

"Still a hardhead," Cody whispered.

"I'm gonna get you out of there," Zack growled back.

"Then follow my lead, and give everyone your strength!" Cody tossed Zack on the ground and backed off. He held his arm up to his forehead. "I'm killing all of you now!" He made his threat, which brought a familiar voice from above him.

"Easy, Cody." Mozaro made his way down the stairs. The black smoke that surrounded him flowed down the stairs with him. "An interesting group has made its way into my domain! To us, they are pests, but with the right thought process, they could be useful," he said. This was Cody's opportunity. He needed to give Zack time, provided he understood what Cody wanted him to do. Zack was always dumb...although, Cody was pretty dumb sometimes too. He smirked at his realization. He stepped in front of Mozaro.

"My Lord, I don't think it's necessary for you to be down here," Cody said. "I can handle these four."

"Oh?" the demon cocked his head to the side. "These are no ordinary adventurers."

"I know sir. I know how strong they are! They've all fought difficult opponents to make it this high in the spire. They'd be worthy allies." Cody kept his hands behind his back. He didn't want the demon to see his sweaty palms shaking nervously. Mozaro nodded to himself as he pondered Cody's words.

"I'd still like to see what I'm dealing with." He stuck his ashen arms out to grab Zack, but this is where Cody intervened. He focused his attention on Mozaro

"Zack, now!" Cody held Mozaro in place with his time magic. The demon's eyes where entirely focused on Cody. Rumbling came from under his feet, as the smoke billowed from under him. Zack used the time to give spell boosts to Maxine, Trick, and Lore. With the might of a hurricane, Lore fired an arrow straight at the demon lord. Right before it struck, Cody removed the time field. It embedded itself right in Mozaro's shoulder. The demon lord roared in pain, causing the entire spire to rumble. This didn't stop the onslaught. Trick then used their own magic to hit Mozaro. He was enveloped in a gravity field and pushed back into the exterior wall of the spire. The demon was woozy upon crashing into the wall with such force. The spire wobbled more viciously. As Mozaro tried to steady himself, Maxine ran toward him. She leapt at him achieving amazing heights and stuck her foot out. It connected with the demon's jaw and sent him through the exterior wall. Mozaro roared as he fell hundreds of stories to his demise.

Cody looked out the newly formed hole. They were so high up, all he could see was the low hanging clouds. After a few moments, he felt a pressure in his chest lifting. Apparently the others could feel it too.

"His domain! It's been destroyed!" Lore said excitedly. "Mozaro is gone!" The excitement of their accomplishment struck each of the four adventurers. Maxine lifted Zack off of his feet. The two were jumping in celebration. Trick and Lore leapt in to join them. The smiles across all four faces was bright and wide. Cody wiped his eyes on the back of his hand smearing the black smudge all over it. Cody scoffed at the paint, angry at his mistakes. He turned back to the hole in the wall. The cold air filled his nostrils and ran through his hair. It sent a shiver through his body.

"Hey," a voice to Cody's left said. Cody looked out of the corner of his eye to see his brother staring at him, eyes full of concern. Just like they always were. Cody just closed his eyes. He didn't think there was anything he could say to Zack to make up for what he'd done. "Guys, could you give us a minute?" Cody heard him ask the others.

"Sure. We're going to go loot Mozaro's penthouse," Maxine said with a hint of excitement in her voice. Cody heard the six footsteps making their way up the grated staircase to the deceased demon's penthouse. He finally opened his eyes to face Zack. His twin was sitting against the wall. Cody struggled to look at him. Fresh blood was still dripping out of the various cuts on his face and neck. "You alright?" he asked. Cody laughed.

"You're asking me."

"Well, yeah. You're my little brother. I have to look out for you. Are you okay?" Cody couldn't bring himself to play along with the joke.

"I'm not okay, Zack. I messed up in the worst way." Cody sat next to his brother. "I was so angry with myself for not being able to solve this problem. I took it out on you."

"Mozaro brainwashed you," Zack began. Cody didn't allow him to finish his thought.

"It's all suggestive. I was so willing to let him. I thought this world was against me and that you didn't respect me."

"I don't," Zack said flatly. "Where's the fun in that? I wouldn't fight a demon lord for someone I respect." Cody closed his eyes and grit his teeth. Zack tried to pull him in, but Cody ducked away, and rose to his feet.

"No. It's not right. You can't forgive me for this. I wanted to hurt you myself. I broke the brainwashing because I didn't want you dead." Cody was shaking at his admission. "Those feelings were based on deep insecurities."

"Okay, then," Zack said. He stood up, and crossed his arms. "I forgive you, anyway."

"You idiot!" Cody yelled. "Did you not hear me! Do you not feel your own face! Look what I've done!"

"Yeah, I am kind of an idiot aren't I?" Zack yelled back. "I may not know everything you do, and I'm pretty reckless, and I guess I just trust in luck over what makes the most sense. I've got a good gut!" He smiled. "Still, I don't need my gut to tell me that you saved us. This could have been a lot worse. I think you saw how bad it could be."

"I can't forgive myself," Cody said. "I don't feel right."

"I understand," Zack nodded. "I just want you to know that I'm glad you're back and I want you to stay with us. Don't go away." This time Cody allowed himself to be hugged by his twin.

"How did you get so good at this," Cody asked with water streaming down his face.

"I met someone just like you," Zack said. "Come on. Let's go join them."

Zack and Cody made their way up the stairs to join the other three. When they reached the landing they were both taken by surprise. There was very little furniture in the room. There was a large mirror that took up an entire wall of the room.

"What is that?" Zack asked. Trick, Lore, and Maxine were standing in front of it.

"Mozaro used it to view his domain," Lore informed them. "I didn't think this mirror existed."

"He probably knew we were in Everred, and that we turned," Trick added.

"He did," Cody said meekly. "It was his plan for you to come here." Cody looked at the other three. They gave him hard stares. Cody looked away from them.

"Zack? He good?" Maxine asked.

"Yep," Zack said eagerly.

"Good," Lore said. "I'm glad you got through." Cody looked at the jester in disbelief. The trio went back to staring at the mirror.

"Wait," Cody said. "Just like that?" He was shocked that they also forgave him. He understood that Zack would forgive him because of the type of person he was. He didn't know Trick, Lore, or Maxine at all.

"Zack says you're good," Lore said definitively.

"Now help us find stuff," Maxine ordered. She began rifling through various objects laid out on tables in the room. "These are some crazy powerful artifacts," she said excitedly.

"Hey, I found something!" Trick called. They found a closet door and opened it up. They were still grimacing from their stomach wound. The others joined them at the door and saw a man hooked up to a machine. He had a vibrant aura around him. Various colors swirled in the aura as it seeped from the man and was sucked up by the machine he was hooked to.

"What is this?" Zack asked horrified.

"It's a mana machine," Lore said. "Mozaro must have been using magic user's stores of mana to power his domain."

"Should we get him out of it," Trick asked. The jester didn't waste time looking for ways to power down the device. They were determined to free the man, regardless of the answer they received.

The group agreed to free the man from the machine and after some searching, found a power source. They removed the man from his shackles and removed him from the closet. They gingerly laid him down in the main room. Zack placed his hand on the man, and gave him a strength boost. Within moments his eyes began to open. He sat up and rubbed his scalp. He had no hair atop his head, and none on his face. The bags under his eyes were pronounced against his dark brown skin. He'd likely been kept awake by the machine for many days. He looked at each one of his rescuers in turn.

"Have you freed me?" He asked. His voice was raspy from a dry throat. The group nodded at him and a bright smile crossed his face. He showed off two rows of sparkling white teeth. He did his best to embrace all of his saviors. "Oh thank the heavens above!" He released the group from his tight grasp. "I'd never thought I'd be free of that demon!" He excitedly stood to his feet, Zack's spell giving him the juice to do so. "Forgive me. I'm just so excited. My name is Malayo. I am the governor of Bosstown!" His eyes darted to the various wounds on Trick and Zack. "You two are injured!"

"I'm fine," Zack and Trick said together.

"Nonsense," Mayalo waved their protest off. "That damned Mozaro was using my healing magic, and large mana reserves to power this domain. It's starting to return and I can't think of more deserving recipients than my saviors!" Mayalo proceeded to heal Zack and Trick's wounds. The cuts disappeared and they both thanked Mayalo. He informed the group that Bosstown and indeed the entire realm was in their debt for defeating Mozaro. "You're always welcome here, heroes!"

"We did it," Zack said to the group. "What do we do now?"

"I think we can all go home," Trick said clasping Zack's shoulder.


	15. Epilogue

EPILOGUE

The group rested in Bosstown that night. Mayalo apologized for the town's dilapidated state. He was clearly embarrassed by what Mozaro had done under his nose. The lizardmen, goblins, and other hostile creatures were banished from the town, and scampered back to the nearby forests and mountains where they'd come from. Mozaro had kidnapped various magic users since taking over Bosstown. They had all been freed and were excited to reconnect with their loved ones. The group even saw Enza.

"I am sorry for anything I did to any of you!" He apologized for the hundredth time over dinner. It turned out he was one of Mayalo's assistants before Mozaro came. The group kept forgiving Enza for what happened while he was brainwashed. He was so grateful for the forgiveness that he allowed everyone to scratch the chin of his trusty falcon, Dudley. He insisted that the bird had been his best friend for years.

With everyone freed, and their resources restocked, the group was ready to depart Bosstown. They received nearly endless praise from the citizens for their accomplishments. It took them longer to leave then they would have liked just from saying goodbye to everyone and accepting their thanks.

They finally began their walk away from the city limits of Bosstown. For the first hour of the journey all five members of the group were silent. Nobody knew what to say to each other. Finally, it was Maxine who broke the ice.

"So what's everyone doing now?" she asked loudly. Nobody knew how to respond. "Well," she said when no one answered quick enough for her liking. "I'm going back to Everred. Lena will be thrilled!"

"I think Lore and I are going to Summerville," Trick said. "We need to see our mom. She needs to hear about our adventure from us."

"What about you two?" Lore asked Zack and Cody. The twins looked at each other.

"I don't know," Zack said. "We've got a lot of stuff to figure out." He shrugged. "We still need to figure out how to get home." This brought a more uneasy silence over the group. "Sorry, guys." Zack chuckled. "We have people back home."

"We know," Trick said. "We're gonna miss you two."

"Surely you won't miss me," Cody said quietly.

"I don't know. You're a lot like Lore. I've grown to like Lore," Maxine said.

"Thanks," Lore said rolling their eyes. "Can't deny that we are a lot alike," they said to Cody. He smiled at Lore's vote of confidence.

"I appreciate it," Cody said.

"I guess with all those magic users freed, we might do well to get some advice from them. Maybe they can help us find our way home!" Zack said hopefully.

"Not a bad idea," Cody agreed.

"So you guys should probably head back," Maxine said.

"We actually left some stuff with Trick and Lore's mother in Summerville. I'd like to

get it back," Zack said.

"You want eggs and bacon," Cody jeered. The group laughed. They enjoyed each other's company the rest of the day as they trekked onward to their destinations.

They set up a camp as they neared Everred. As the others went to bed Zack went up to Maxine. She smiled at him.

"Well, you did it," she said. "I'm so proud of what you did. I'll admit I didn't expect us to pull it off." She folded her arms and threw a stick into the crackling fire. "It was amazing."

"Thanks for helping, Maxine." Zack was fidgeting. He was trying to build up nerve, and he didn't know how to say what he wanted to. "You know," he started. "I know you want to go back to Everred, but I'd love if you stayed with us. We make a good team, you and I. Us. You know?" He looked at her. She was smiling as he stumbled through his pitch.

"Who'd have thought this is where our relationship would end up after I robbed you and your brother blind." Maxine laughed.

"That's right! Your group!" Zack said, trying to shift conversation away from his apparently failed proposal. "What happened to them?"

"Those guys," Maxine laughed. "I gave up the bandit business. They're free now to do what they want with their lives. I don't need to steal my way through anymore. Savior of Bosstown has a profitable sound to it." She smirked as she poked the fire.

"Good," Zack said. He was turning red.

"I think you're awesome, Zack," Maxine said. She was looking at him seriously. "It would be a crime against the universe if you and I weren't fighting on the same team again. In terms of heart stuff, though…" she paused to formulate her words. "Mine is with someone in Everred, and has been for a long time." Zack nodded, and smiled. He felt an enormous weight leave his chest. It was like two universes worth of pressure had been released at Maxine's answer. He could move forward.

The following morning the group resumed their trek to Everred. Zack walked with Cody. They weren't saying much to each other, and Cody was fine with that. He appreciated that Zack forgave him, but they needed to have a long talk about their next steps, and how they can better work together, utilizing their newfound abilities. A few hours into the walk, Trick and Lore joined them.

"Hey, got a second?" Trick asked. Cody nodded. Trick was practically bouncing up and down, clearly having trouble containing their excitement. "Well, Lore and I were talking last night," they began.

"All night, Trick means," Lore interjected. Their eyes were bloodshot and baggy. Clearly they had wanted to sleep, but Trick was too talkative.

"We still want to go home and see our mom, and Arka," Trick started. "But we also want to stay with you guys! So, if you'll have us, we'd love to join you, and help you find your way home!" Trick had a bright smile at their news.

"I appreciate it Trick, but you guys don't owe me anything." Zack said.

"Maybe," Lore replied. "This isn't something we're doing out of a debt. We want to help you guys. Trick and I are adventurers. We aren't going to find that at home."

"It's why we left in the first place," Trick added. "Our first adventure started horribly, but ended up being good because we met you guys."

"That is of course if you'll have us," Lore said. Zack looked to Cody who nodded immediately.

"Of course you guys can stay with us!" Zack said. The twin jesters were ecstatic at the news. "And of course if Maxine wants to join, she's more than welcome!" Zack called to Maxine. She turned and smiled.

"I'll be sure to answer that call!" she exclaimed. The group was all smiles as they continued their journey. They didn't know what would be next for them, but the prospect of facing it together thrilled all five of them. This world was strange, and Zack and Cody were still outsiders, but they were ready to discover the answers they sought.


End file.
